A second employee at troubled bank HBOS has made allegations about its climate of risk-taking before the credit crunch.
Anthony Smith, who worked for the banking group as a manager until late 2005, said staff were discouraged from challenging business decisions.
The comments come after his former boss Paul Moore, who was sacked after raising concerns over excessive risk-taking at HBOS, forced the resignation of a senior Government adviser amid the row.
Reflecting on the conditions at HBOS after Mr Moore's departure, Mr Smith told the BBC News website: "There was definitely a dumbing down of the risk function and challenging the business... was not welcome."
He said the culture at HBOS changed dramatically with the appointment of Mr Moore's successor, Jo Dawson.
He said: "I thought it was a little bit strange for somebody in that position to be on the board advising them about risk who has no knowledge at all about risk and regulation."
A spokeswoman for the Lloyds Banking Group, which took over HBOS last year, said: "Jo Dawson is a very experienced and senior banker with more than 20 years experience in the industry. She took her role as risk director very seriously indeed. Mr Smith was a junior employee."
Following his explosive evidence to the Commons Treasury Committee last week, Mr Moore said he was planning to send MPs a further dossier of 30 documents which will point the finger of blame for the financial crisis at Gordon Brown.
