FORMER ANGLO Irish Bank employees who failed to disclose encrypted passwords for documents should be sued to make this information available, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said.

Mr Kenny called on the Taoiseach to instruct Anglo Irish Bank to take a civil action after it emerged that the investigation into the bank was being delayed by “attempts by former Anglo Irish Bank employees to obstruct the course of justice and not to give the information regarding the encrypted files that many of them have”.

However, Brian Cowen said the Government could not interfere in the conduct of an inquiry, which he described as “the biggest investigation in the history of the State”.

The Fine Gael leader said the Minister for Justice had stated that it would be a criminal offence if information owned by the bank was being withheld.

“You own Anglo Irish Bank,” he said to the Taoiseach. “This information in these encrypted files is critical and may be the vital information in respect of prosecuting people for criminal or illegal activities. Why have you not instructed Anglo Irish Bank to take a civil action and bring these people to court so that this information can be made available to the public?”

Mr Cowen said that “under our laws and Constitution”, the investigation “is conducted by an independent prosecutor service”.

He added that “there is a very thorough examination under way. The Garda Commissioner said recently that he expects further progress in relation to it shortly.”