Four former bankers have pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiring to defraud by misleading investors and depositors in Anglo Irish Bank.

They are accused of engaging in transactions between March and September 2008 to make the former bank's deposits look stronger than they were.

Due to the expected length of the trial, an enlarged jury of 15 was due to be sworn in today, but only 14 were empanelled in the end.

Of the 270 people who arrived for jury duty, most were either challenged by the defence or excused for personal reasons.

Of the ones who remained, Judge Martin Nolan told them they must enter into the case with open minds and disregard what had happened in the past.

The accused: Irish Life & Permanent's former chief executive Denis Casey and the bank's former director of finance Peter Fitzpatrick; Anglo Irish Bank's former director of finance Willie McAteer and John Bowe, who used to work as head of capital markets for Anglo, all deny conspiring to mislead investors and depositors in Anglo by engaging in transactions that made it look like the bank's deposits were over €7bn stronger than they actually were.

The trial, which is due to hear from around 100 witnesses, could take up to five months.

It will open on Monday as soon as a 15th juror is sworn in.