Tony Spollen, a former auditor of AIB has said that he was asked to change an audit by the then Group Chief Execuive of the bank, Gerry Scanlon. Mr Spollen said that his relationship with his Chief Executive deteriorated after a share issue at AIB went wrong and the bank did not inform the stock exchange. Mr Gerry Scanlan has denied instructing Mr Spollen to change an audit report.
Mr Spollen said that he was too distressed yesterday to respond to the comments being made by Gerry Scanlon. When the inquiry opened this morning, he said that he would now tell the real reason behind his departure. He discussed the strain place on his relationship with Mr Scanlon following the share issue and claimed that AIB put the money into a widows and orphans fund rather than admit the share issue had failed. AIB's Senior Counsel Dermot Gleeson intervened and said that while he appreciated Mr Spollen was distressed, the matters being raised were not part of the inquiry.
The Chairman Jim Mitchell then advised Mr Spollen to speak to the Committee's legal advisors before saying any more. Mr Spollen agreed, but in conclusion he said that the problem began when Gerry Scanlon had asked him to change an audit and he refused.
