THE former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank and two former Anglo executives will go on trial today in Dublin, charged with providing unlawful financial assistance to 16 people to buy shares in the bank.
Seán FitzPatrick, 65, from Greystones in Co Wicklow; Patrick Whelan, 51, of Malahide in Dublin and William McAteer, 62, of Rathmines in Dublin have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Mr Whelan has also denied seven charges of being privy to the fraudulent alteration of a loan facility letter.
Fifteen jurors have been sworn in to hear the trial at the Criminal Courts complex this morning, which could go on until May.
Mr FitzPatrick, the former chairman of Anglo, Mr Whelan, the former director of Irish operations and former finance director Mr McAteer all deny providing unlawful financial assistance to 16 people to buy shares in Anglo, in July 2008.
Mr Whelan has also pleaded not guilty to being privy to the fraudulent alteration in October 2008, of seven facility letters relating to loans to purchase Anglo shares.
A list of potential witnesses has already been read out in court and include Seán Quinn, property investors and developers named in the charges, the former financial regulator and former Anglo and Central Bank employees.
