A Dublin accountant, one of the main prosecution witnesses in the Belfast fraud trial of former financier Mr Finbarr Ross will not be called to give evidence.

Mr Declan Collins, of KPMG Stokes Kennedy Crowley, chartered accountants, was the Irish agent of the liquidator at a time when the defence claims that the assets of Gibraltar-based International Investments were stripped.

No reason for the move was given to Belfast Crown Court. Prosecuting QC Mr John Creaney told Mr Justice Gillen that "in the light of my present instructions I will not be calling Mr Declan Collins".

Mr Collins, according to International's liquidator, Mr James Galliano, was appointed as his Irish agent "at the request" of Dublin barrister Mr Colm Allen, the then chairman of the committee of inspectors formed to aid Mr Galliano.

Mr Arthur Harvey QC, for Mr Ross (54), who denies 41 charges including false accounting and duping investors, said he appreciated that "in a case such as this the Crown may face difficulties from time to time and at the moment I take no point on that".

But, he added, he had introduced a number of defence documents "on the basis that he would be called" and that now a number of them "may no longer be provable", although discussions between the defence and prosecution might overcome that matter.

Had Mr Collins been called to give evidence for the prosecution, said Mr Harvey, his cross-examination by the defence "would have taken some days".

The court has already heard that of company assets of £800,000 in Ireland, mainly unsecured loans and "poor quality" property investments, the liquidation realised only £120,000, together with £65,000 sterling from the auction of art work in London. Those monies were all swallowed up in legal and accountancy fees before Mr Galliano halted his liquidation in 1991 after coming to the conclusion that it was pointless to continue.

The hearing continues.