A prominent Waterford politician and his wife were arrested yesterday by gardai investigating financial irregularities at the Ulster Bank branch in the city.
A file was being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions after the couple were arrested at 8.45 a.m. yesterday and questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act at Waterford Garda station. They were released last night after their initial six-hour detention period had been extended yesterday afternoon.
Yesterday's arrests were the culmination of an 18-month investigation by local detectives and members of the Garda fraud bureau.
The irregularities came to light during a routine internal audit carried out by Ulster Bank in early 1998 at its branch on the Quay in Waterford city. A comprehensive internal investigation was then undertaken by the bank, which resulted in the staff member being suspended.
The woman who was arrested yesterday had been interviewed previously by detectives from the bureau of fraud investigation.
An Ulster Bank spokeswoman declined to comment, because of the Garda investigation.
