The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has said the asset stripping powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau should be used to recoup money hidden away during the banking crisis.
The President of the AGSI told its annual conference that bank executives and directors paying themselves huge unrealistic salaries and lending too much money were responsible for bankrupting banks and the collapse in confidence in the financial institutions.
Paschal Feeney blamed the financial regulators, the Central Bank, and the Government for letting it happen and said if the legislation was not there to investigate white-collar fraud then new laws should be enacted.
The Government was blamed along with the Central Bank, the financial regulators and bank executives and directors for failing to prevent banks going bankrupt and the collapse in confidence in financial institutions.
The AGSI President demanded that the Government take all steps possible to hold those responsible to account for what he called ‘the demolition of the financial reputation of the country’.
Mr Feeney said this included initiating prosecutions, bringing these people before the courts and if new legislation was needed then it should be enacted.
He also said the asset stripping powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau should be used to recoup money hidden away during the banking crisis by what he said were ‘members of the so called Golden Circle’.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern is attending the conference, which opened this evening.
Earlier today garda sergeants and inspectors in Dublin said gardaí should no longer be required to carry and escort prisoners in garda cars.
Delegates at the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors
Conference, which opens later this morning in Athlone, want prisoners to be escorted by an independent agency to free up gardaí to carry out core policing duties.
Officers in Longford and Westmeath are also seeking more modern digital recording facilities in garda stations, more gardaí to be trained in specialist child interviewing techniques and dedicated interview suites for children.
Delegates from Tipperary are repeating their call from last year that an out-of-hours’ service for children at risk is established as quickly as possible.
Officers in Waterford and Kilkenny want what they have said is a legal loophole, which enables people to avoid penalty points, closed.
Middle-ranking garda officers also reject any erosion of their pay, pension and conditions and want the payment of performance related bonuses to senior garda officers to cease immediately.
