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THOUGH IT HAS faced criticism for lacking any real teeth, the banking inquiry has significantly escalated its workload and its powers.
From this week on all witnesses appearing before the committee are now required to take an oath or affirmation prior to giving evidence.
You can expect former and current senior bankers and politicians to be holding the bible and taking the oath in the coming weeks, just like ex-AIB chairman Dermot Gleeson did earlier today:
It’s all part of the powers given to the inquiry under the Inquiries Act.
It means some of the most senior bankers in the country at the time of the bank guarantee as well as politicians are being formally compelled to appear before the committee – irrespective of whether or not they’ve indicated a willingness to cooperate.
If they don’t cooperate, they could be prosecuted under the Inquiries Act. They could also face prosecution for providing false or misleading information to the committee or unlawfully disclosing documents related to the inquiry.
Punishments of up to five years in prison and up to €500,000 of a fine can be handed down by the courts, if witnesses are found to have been in breach of the Act.
The oath has been taken by the four witnesses who have so far appeared under the nexus phase.
These include NAMA’s Brendan McDonagh and Frank Daly yesterday, and Gleeson and Donal Forde, former managing director of ROI division of AIB, earlier today.
The oath reads:
I swear by Almighty God that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Here’s Forde taking it this afternoon:
There’s also an affirmation available for those who are not religious, which reads:
I, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence that I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Once the inquiry moves into the political aspect of investigation expect to see the likes of Brian Cowen and Charlie McCreevey taking oaths before they face questioning.
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These sort of people are compulsive liars and would step over their own mothers if It meant an extra few bob in the bank .I’d say they would be trying to hold in the laugh while saying this oath to be honest.
What if they dont believe in god? What a load of bull that might have worked 30 years ago when the irish were gullible who are they kidding._.
You can affirm now. An oath is an oath whether you believe or not.
Didn’t we reject this idea by referendum?
George Carlin:
“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”
“Tell ya what, I’ll tell you as much truth as whats in that f**kin book”
If one of those shits told me it was raining i would have to step out to make sure. They are that bent if they ate nails they would shite screws.
Seriously up to 5 years in prison if they speak with a forked tongue? More like a couple of hours community service as we already have seen been handed down….
Bankers telling the truth? That will be amazing……
might aswell have their hand on a copy of the Beano
Do you really think swearing on something that doesn’t exist will make the bast*rds tell the truth?
God? Bankers? I’d be pretty sure these guys are Atheists, so the oath must be hilarious to them,..swear on a book and you’re good to go, bet they cross their fingers.
Harmless
Progress. At least we can get a better insight into the details and not only banks, also auditors, our regulator….
Oaths me arse,boi – as it’s just “another day, another billion” ,boi .
I wonder has god ever come to earth to squeal on someone who lied under oath?
Perversely enough, the bible says you shouldn’t swear on the bible.
Religion….lolz.
Does it? Where?
Hold on until I wheel out my bible thing….
“But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all either by heaven, for it is God’s throne…or by the earth, for it is his footstool or by Jerusalem for it is the city of the Great King or on oysters for they are his kneecaps..
And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Matthew.
I added a bit in, can you guess which part?
Is it the bit after “But”?
Dirty crooked little island.
I swear to the almighty figment of medieval desert dwellers imagination that what I have is the loot, the whole loot and nothing but the loot
Genis O’Drien
The oath means nothing to these guys. They would swear on their mothers life’s
What do you swear on if you not religious ????
“I, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence that I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
That will nail them to the cross…
You swear to jayzuz.
For bankers, it is brown envelopes and 100 euro bills?
A banker worships nothing but money so getting them to swear on the bible? It might as well be a mills and boon.
Bring back the death penalty for those who are found and proven to be lying to a court of the lands. Give me one reason why this wouldn’t work.
Tell the truth and live.
For bankers and politicians I quite like the Mediaeval idea that you had to hold a hot coal in your hand while you were give g evidence. Not sure what the logic or physiology behind this was, but it’s better than swearing an oath only to lie like Annanias and then walk away scot-free.
Giving
” if they don’t ” ha , oh me great aunt Sally , that was funny.
Your
It’s ‘you’re’ Ray ..Good question,boi.
Sound Boi .
10 Commandments come to mind, unless they want Shia law for bankers now lol.
Apparently the first few Bibles burst into flames on contact.
One of the benefits of having the Church controlling the education system is that it creates people with a strong moral compass. Maybe having that drummed into you in school for 14 years is a bit like the Irish language in that it gets forgotten about the day you finish your Leaving Cert?
have your say