Fintan Drury Says he is not one of the Anglo Golden Circle of Ten

As the heat grows on the controversial Anglo Golden Circle with the regulator suggesting they were misled (about time they learned to firefight their bad news, how  believable the protest is another matter) – more interesting revelations about the identity of the circle emerge.

Yesterday‘s Independent drew our attention to Fintan Drury alongside its coverage of Cowen’s dinner with Anlgo executives. At the time it seemed to jar – even deliberately so.

Mr Cowen was Finance Minister at the time and was told only weeks before about problems at the bank with the shareholding of multi-millionaire businessman, Sean Quinn.

He met the Anglo bankers on the night of April 24 last when he was already Taoiseach-in-waiting and when his close friend, Fintan Drury, was a member of Anglo’s board, chairing its risks and compliance committee.

This morning the mention of Drury becomes a lot clearer as he speaks to Sam Smyth to dispel the “smears” and “whispers” that have pinned him as one of the Golden Circle. Yesterday’s attempt to tie him to Cowen in the off-chance something comes of it looks a whole lot clearer.

Businessman Fintan Drury has been at the centre of speculation over the identity of the 10 investors who bought €300m worth of shares in the bank with money loaned by the institution itself.

But last night Mr Drury, a close confidante of the Taoiseach, said he is not involved.

“I am not one of the 10,” he told the Irish Independent.

The former journalist and multimillionaire sports events organiser said he was deeply frustrated and very angry at the whispering campaign led by politicians in Leinster House.

Today we get the Price Waterhouse Cooper report into Anglo/Banks and also Anglo’s annual report. Watch the space for any hints at the identity of the Anlgo Ten.