Former non-executive director at Anglo Irish Bank Fintan Drury arriving at the Banking Inquiry this morning

You’ may recall yesterday’s post containing the bulk of former CEO of Anglo Irish Bank David Drumm’s statement to the Banking Inquiry.

It came ahead of former non-executive director at Anglo Fintan Drury’s appearance at the inquiry this morning. Alan Dukes and Mike Aynsley are also scheduled to appear today before the inquiry takes a break for the summer.

In his statement, Mr Drumm claimed Mr Drury acted as an intermediary between Anglo Irish Bank and Brian Cowen.

Mr Drumm also claimed, “In April 2008 the Board of AIBC held a private dinner with Mr. Brian Cowen, TD, then the Minister for Finance and Taoiseach elect. I sat next to the Minister and it was the first opportunity I’d had to speak with him privately. We discussed the difficulties in the financial markets at that time” contradicting what Mr Cowen told the Banking Inquiry recently.

Mr Drury’s appearance was to begin at 9.30am this morning but it has been delayed.

Mr Drury, a college friend of former Taoiseach Brian Cowen and whose corporate communications consultancy company Drury Communications advised Anglo, was a non-executive director at Anglo Irish Bank from 2002 until 2008.

He founded Drury Communications in 1988 and retired from it in 1999.

Mr Drury was also on Anglo’s Risk and Compliance Committee

He was also an RTÉ reporter in the 1980s and presented Morning Ireland. He was chairman of the RTÉ Authority from mid-2005 until his resignation in January 2007.

Ciaran Hancock, of the Irish Times, spoke with Keelin Shanley this morning in light of the delay in this morning’s proceedings.

Ciaran Hancock: “When I was last with you [at 10am] they [the inquiry’s committee] were considering whether or not to publish the witness statement belong to David Drumm, they’ve had that meeting and they’ve decided to suspend publication pending further dialogue with the Director of Public Prosecutions so they’ve basically shelved the matter, if you like, for now. And then in relation to Fintan Drury, he was originally supposed to have appeared at half past nine, that didn’t happen, there were some delays, private meetings about the Drumm situation. He was then to appear at 11am and then we were told it was going to be 11.30am. He still hasn’t appeared. The committee is going to convene again, at around about midday and they’re going to consider, apparently Mr Drury has indicated that he wants to introduce new evidence to the inquiry today. So the inquiry’s legal team has had to consider this. They’ve been consulting with Mr Drumm, they’re going to be considering with the committee members now shortly. And it’s a question of whether this evidence can be introduced or not and whether it actually falls within the terms of reference of the inquiry.”

Keelin Shanley: “So new evidence from Mr Drury and a decision to abide by the DPP’s ruling on the evidence of Mr Drumm. In relation to Mr Drumm’s evidence is that the last, or statement rather than evidence, is that the last that we will hear of it at this point? Do you believe?”

Hancock: “No, I don’t think so. I mean they’ve been very careful about their language. They say they have suspended publication, so they haven’t definitely ruled out publishing David Drumm’s witness statement at some point. But they’ve suspended publication and they’re going to have, they’re going to seek further clarifications from the DPP in relation to this. Now, you know, people might wonder at this stage, given that there’s been so many leaks of the Drumm statement and if you look hard enough on the web you’ll actually find the whole thing. What the problem is in relation to this, but anyway the DPP has taken a very strong line, the DPP doesn’t want the witness statement published. Some banking inquiry members feel it shouldn’t be, or at least, some of it should be maybe some parts should be redacted but, they’ve decided to seek further clarification from the DPP as to whether or not they can publish at least some of it.”

Later

Hancock: “There’s also, apparently, there’s words that Fintan Drury is due to take a flight somewhere later on today so a question mark over exactly how much time he has or whether the committee will facilitate him to take that flight or will they want him to give that evidence regardless of whatever arrangements he’s made for later in the day.”

Listen back in full here

Bank inquiry to further suspend publication of Drumm statement (RTE)

Previously: David Drumm: My Version

Sasko Lazarov/Rollingnews.ie