The Workers’ Party have described as deeply disturbing the news that former Anglo-Irish Bank chairman Sean Fitzpatrick has been acquitted on the 126th day of his trial on charges relating to financial irregularities which led to the collapse of Anglo-Irish Bank in 2009.

Workers’ Party representative for Dublin North West, Gavin Mendel-Gleason, said that the collapse of the case would be greeted with disgust by citizens who had suffered tremendously as a result of the man-made economic crisis that had led to massive banking debts which are still being paid off.

If, as is being suggested, the collapse of this case is down to interference in the case or incompetence by officials of the Office of Corporate Enforcement then these circumstances themselves must be investigated by a truly independent body.

Mendel-Gleason continued:

This acquittal will be seen by working class citizens as further proof that there is one law for those with wealth and access to those in power and another law for everyone else. From the outset when the jury for this case was being picked there were troubling circumstances surrounding the nature of the conduct of this trial.

The legal system in our State has long been defective and biased against working class communities. It has now displayed a complete incapability to prosecute successfully individuals whose actions have inflicted untold damage on our society. In the lead up to the economic meltdown that he played a leading role in creating, Sean Fitzpatrick questioned whether our State could continue to afford to pay old age pensions and other forms of essential welfare. He then oversaw the transfer of billions of euro of public money to bail out what amounted to massive gambling debts run up by himself and other miscreants.

Mendel-Gleason concluded:

Fitzpatrick is a man of low character and whatever the courts may state his moral guilt is clear to all impartial observers. However, he remains well protected by the Golden Circle which continues to plague our society. The contrast of his treatment and that of the working class activists currently on trial on preposterous charges relating to the 2014 water charges protest in Jobstown will not be lost on working class communities across the country. The acquittal of Sean Fitzpatrick marks yet another body blow to the so-called justice system which operates in this State, which no longer has, or deserves, the respect or trust of its citizens.