Former Irish politician Liam Lawlor dies in car crash

October 22, 2005

Former Irish politician Liam Lawlor died Saturday in a car crash outside Moscow, Russia. Lawlor's Mercedes crashed into a lamp post at approximately 1:00 AM MSKS (Friday, 2100 UTC).

Lawlor was on a trip in the Russian capital and was making his way to the airport with his driver and a Ukrainian interpreter. The woman, who sustained serious injuries, survived the crash. The driver of the automobile was also killed.

Lawlor resigned from poltics and his position as a Teachta Dála in the Irish house of parliament (the Dáil) after he admitted receiving sums of money from the lobbyist Frank Dunlop. After Fianna Fáil conducted its own internal investigation, Lawlor resigned from the Party, however he continued to support the government in the Dáil. Lawlor appeared at the Tribunal on several occasions and was imprisoned in Mountjoy Prison for non-compliance with the investigation.

Previous untrue allegations that the Ukrainian woman was a call girl have led to the Irish Independent newspaper issuing a formal apology to Mr Lawlor's Family. Reports that Lawlor was in possession of the drug PCP were likewise proved to be false.