Russian police will this morning open an investigation into the death of former Fianna Fáil politician Liam Lawlor, who was killed in a car crash in Moscow early on Saturday morning. Mark Brennock, Paul Cullen and Chris Stephen report
A key witness will be Julia Kushnir, a back-seat passenger who was the only survivor of the crash.
Speaking on his arrival in Moscow last night, Mr Lawlor's son, Niall, said Ms Kushnir was a 32-year-old mother of two who worked as an assistant to the partner in the legal firm that Mr Lawlor used in Prague.
He said he "couldn't believe" press coverage of his father's death which had claimed the accident occurred in a red-light district and that Mr Lawlor had just met his fellow passenger. "I passed the accident site. It didn't look like any red-light district. It is surrounded by malls."
Irish diplomats have confirmed the woman travelled to Moscow with Mr Lawlor from Prague on Friday night. Luggage belonging to Mr Lawlor and Ms Kushnir was found in the car, indicating that both were travelling directly from the airport.
Niall Lawlor said Ms Kushnir, a Ukrainian national, was a fluent Russian speaker who was to provide interpreting services for his father.
Earlier Mr Lawlor's family expressed regret and sadness at the "barrage of inaccurate, reckless and vindictive coverage" from "certain sections of media" on the circumstances of his death.
"At this time of mourning it is deeply shocking and distressing that such hurtful allegations should be made," it said in a statement. "The family ask that the media reflect on their coverage and allow them space to cope with their loss."
The wrecked Mercedes in which the former TD was travelling is being kept by Moscow police in a secure compound for investigation.
Moscow police spokesman Sergei Kovalenko told The Irish Times that the Mercedes hit a concrete lamppost on the Leningrad Shosse, a main highway 23 km from the city centre shortly after 1am.
He said Mr Lawlor (61) died in the crash, along with the car driver, named as Ruslan Suliamanov.
Mr Kovalenko said the woman, whom he did not identify, had given a statement to the police and was not under arrest. No other vehicle was involved in the crash.
A family source said Mr Lawlor flew to Prague on Thursday. He travelled on to Moscow to meet Russian business contacts who own property in the Czech capital, and had intended flying back yesterday.
The bodies of the two men were last night in the morgue at Shkodnia outside Moscow, awaiting forensic examination today.
Mr Lawlor's body is expected to be released later today to his son Niall. His funeral is provisionally scheduled for Thursday.
His death robs the planning tribunal of a vital but unco-operative witness. Mr Lawlor was to give evidence in at least nine separate hearings planned by the tribunal into allegations of corruption in Dublin planning.
The first, into the rezoning of Quarryvale in west Dublin, is scheduled to begin next month. Although the start of hearings may be delayed by legal issues, Mr Lawlor's death is unlikely to prevent the inquiry proceeding.
Mr Lawlor always maintained the payments he got from developers were legitimate political contributions or consultancy fees.
News of his death cast a shadow over the Fianna Fáil Ardfheis in Killarney. The Taoiseach and Opposition leaders expressed shock at the death of Mr Lawlor, with Mr Ahern paying tribute to "an engaging, witty and larger-than-life character".
The former chairman of the planning tribunal, Mr Justice Feargus Flood, described him as a "larger- than-life character who had his own agenda".
Mr Lawlor is survived by his wife, Hazel, three sons and a daughter.