Former solicitor Michael Lynn has pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of stealing a total of almost €30 million from financial institutions in 2006 and 2007.
The prosecution claims Mr Lynn, who is 53 and has an address at Redcross in Co Wicklow, had spun a web of deceit as he dishonestly and repeatedly applied for multiple mortgages on the same properties.
Mr Lynn is charged with stealing sums of between €215,000 and €4.125 million from seven financial institutions between October 2006 and June 2007.
The financial institutions are Ulster Bank, Bank of Ireland, Bank of Scotland, Ireland, Danske Bank trading as National Irish Bank, ACC, Irish Life and Permanent trading as PTSB and Irish Nationwide Building Society.
Prosecuting counsel Patrick McGrath told the jurors they were concerned with Michael Lynn obtaining multiple mortgages over the same properties with different financial institutions.
He said the financial institutions were not aware other institutions had lent money or were in the process of lending money for the same properties.
Mr McGrath said the properties at the centre of the case included a house in Howth intended to be used as a family home.
He said Mr Lynn applied for a total of €11.75 million from three financial institution to buy Glenlyon House in Howth, which was sold for €5.5 million.
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Mr McGrath said Mr Lynn provided the institutions with false statements of affairs which purported to be prepared by an accountancy firm, but which were not and which did not set out a full picture of his financial situation.
And he said letters provided to the institutions undertaking to register the mortgages in respect of the properties were in many cases forged and the mortgages were not registered.
Mr McGrath said the jurors would hear evidence of the "web of deceit" which lay behind Mr Lynn dishonestly and repeatedly obtaining mortgage finance on the same properties.
The jurors have heard that 70 witnesses are to be called and the trial could take up to 14 weeks. 15 jurors have been empanelled because of the length of the case.
