Laois Offaly TD writes to corporate watchdog over RTE payments
A Laois Offaly TD has written to the Corporate Enforcement Authority in relation to payments at RTE.
Independent Deputy Carol Nolan says she has asked about the possibility of the authority initiating an investigation into the payments scandal currently engulfing the national broadcaster.
Deputy Nolan said she saw no reason in principle why the CEA should not do so as the competent Statutory authority capable of imposing sanctions on company directors under the Companies (Statutory Audits) Act 2018 and is tasked with promoting compliance with company law under the Companies Act 2014.
She claimed that it was “manifestly clear” that there were numerous breaches of good corporate governance at the national broadcaster following revelations that at least €1.25 went through a so-called ‘barter account’ for corporate hospitality
“The entire reason the CEA was set up was to bring about a greater level of compliance with company law and to put a stop through its various investigatory powers to ‘creative accounting’ at the corporate and company level,” said Deputy Nolan.
“In light of that I think the CEA should be asked to initiate an investigation into RTE given that it has significant powers to adjudicate upon whether public protection considerations warrant a director, or a board should be being restricted or disqualified from certain roles in a company,” said Deputy Nolan.
“We need full transparency on this scandal and we need to utilise every accountability mechanism available to the state to bring that about in the shortest time possible,” she concluded.