New York, Sept 19: Merrill Lynch & Co, one of Wall Street's premier firms, said on Wednesday it fired two top executives for refusing to testify in a government probe into Enron deals. Merrill said it terminated Vice Chairman Thomas Davis, the firm's former investment banking head, and Schuyler Tilney, head of Merrill's energy and power group, as part of a policy requiring employees to cooperate fully with regulatory and law enforcement investigations.

The move represents Merrill's desire to distance itself from the Enron debacle, which has shaken investor confidence worldwide and raised questions about Wall Street's role in complex financing arrangements.

Tilney, who reportedly had close personal relationships with top brass at Enron, was put on administrative leave by Merrill in July after he said he would not testify to Congress.
In a brief statement, Merrill noted it was unaware of any evidence that its employees acted improperly in Enron dealings and said it is cooperating with all ongoing investigations. Bureau Report