Family arranges return of remains

THE family of Liam Lawlor were last night finalising arrangements for the return of his body following the fatal car crash in Moscow early on Saturday morning.

A statement will be issued today with details of the return of the body and funeral arrangements, his office said last night.

A post mortem has been carried out while Russian authorities are investigating the crash, though they do not believe there is anything suspicious about the incident. They confirmed no other vehicle was involved.

The driver, named locally as Ruslan Suliamanov, is believed to have lost control of the Mercedes car while travelling along the six lane highway from the city’s main international airport. Lawlor and the driver died instantly after the car smashed in to a lamp post.

Lawlor had just arrived in the Russian capital with his translator and assistant, Julia Krushnir, who suffered minor back injuries in the crash.

They had travelled from Prague, where the former west Dublin TD had extensive business interests. Diplomatic sources said last night it was Lawlor’s first business trip to Moscow.

Lawlor’s eldest son Niall and a family friend are in Moscow to oversee the return of the body. A Department of Foreign Affairs official said: “We are working with the family through the department and the embassy to have the remains moved back to Ireland as soon as possible.”

His office said arrangements for the return or the body have not been finalised.

The wrecked Mercedes in which the former TD was travelling is still being held by Moscow police. However, local sources said it is unlikely many resources will be deployed investigating what appears to be a tragic accident.

It is not normal to hold an inquest following a road traffic accident, said the source.

Moscow police said the car hit a concrete lamp post on the Leningrad Shosse, a main highway between the airport and the city centre around 1am local time on Saturday. The accident happened 23km from the centre.

Ms Kushnir, who spent some time in hospital before being discharged on Sunday afternoon, was interviewed by police. She checked out of the five star Moscow Marriot that evening.

Initial reports from the Moscow police appear now to be wide off the mark. One officer was quoted as saying the woman was a teenager, that she had no documents on her and that Lawlor was believed to have only met her.

It is now clear luggage belonging to both Lawlor and Ms Kushnir was in the car.

The 61-year-old businessman and former politician 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 on Sunday.

His body was being held in the morgue at Shkodnia while arrangements to bring it back home are finalised.