Adams Calls For Bankers To Be Prosecuted

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has called for bank executives to be brought before the courts if they are found to have broken the law.

Mr Adams told delegates at his party's Ard Fheis (annual convention) that "all categories of gangsters or banksters must face the full rigours of the law."

He also called on the Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan to resign.

His comments came after a report into Anglo-Irish Bank found 15 customers owe the bank more than €500 million each.

"Gun crime, drug crime, blue-collar crime, and white-collar crime must be confronted," said Mr Adams.

"That means that banking executives and others, must be rigorously investigated if they have broken the law and, like everyone who behaves illegally, they must be brought before the courts."

Earlier at the conference, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said Northern Ireland was "no longer an orange state, but an orange and green state."

He told delegates that "evolution, like climate change, was undeniable."

On Friday, delegates in Dublin heard one of Sinn Féin's Policing Board members criticise the PSNI's chief constable.

Alex Maskey accused Sir Hugh Orde of making political comments rather than concentrating on policing.

He said Sir Hugh made excuses for police failures instead of admitting flaws and trying to end them.

Mr Maskey predicted there would be significant changes in the leadership of the PSNI and the Policing Board in the coming months.