The financial services ombudsman launched a stinging attack on the former chairman of Anglo Irish Bank this evening.
Speaking before the Government announced its plan to nationalise the Bank , Joe Meade said that Sean FitzPatrick duped members of the bank's board, its shareholders, employees and the general public.
Mr Meade said that given the behaviour of senior executives at financial institutions it was not surprising that there had been a significant rise in complaints by consumers.
Earlier today, the financial ombudsman released its annual report which shows that complaints by consumers about financial institutions grew by over one-third last year.
In 2008 the ombudsman received 5,950 complaints, an increase of 36 per cent on 2007.
Anglo chairman Sean FitzPatrick resigned last month after it emerged he had been transferring loans of over €87 million off the bank's books at its financial year end, over an eight-year period, so they would not appear on the balance sheet.
Finance director Willie McAteer chief executive David Drumm and non-executive director Lar Bradshaw have also resigned in the wake of the scandal.
In an interview on TV3 News this evening, Mr Meade said: "Sean FitzPatrick deceived, when he was chief executive and later as chairman, his board, shareholders, the general public and indeed his staff.
"If this apparent deception is indicative of what happens at the top as to how customers are treated, well then that might be a reason why complaints overall have increased against the financial services sector."
An egm is to take place tomorrow at which it is expected that the head of Anglo Irish bank's UK operations, Declan Quilligan, will be named as its new chief executive.
