A number of Sunday newspapers are set to publish prominent apologies tomorrow over inaccuracies in their coverage of Liam Lawlor's death last weekend.
Sunday Independent editor Aengus Fanning will make a comprehensive front-page apology to the former TD's family in tomorrow's edition, according to sources in the newspaper.
The Observer and Sunday Tribune, which also wrongly suggested Mr Lawlor was in the company of a prostitute when he died, are also expected to publish apologies.
Mr Lawlor was killed in an early morning car crash in Moscow on Saturday as he was being driven from the airport. His driver, Ruslan Suliamanov, also died and a female passenger, Julia Kushnir, suffered minor injuries.
It has since emerged that Ms Kushnir, who had travelled with Mr Lawlor from Prague, was working as his legal secretary and interpreter.
Mr Lawlor's long-time friend and driver, Pat Long, yesterday claimed he told Sunday Independent executive editor (news) Jody Corcoran before publication last Saturday evening that the woman travelling with the former TD was a translator.
Mr Long said he rang Mr Corcoran at 8.17pm and had a brief conversation. In it, he said that while he didn't know the woman's name, he knew she had travelled with Mr Lawlor from Prague and worked as an interpreter.
Asked why he was making the allegation now, almost a week after Mr Lawlor died, Mr Long said it was because of the continuing hurt the Sunday Independent's reporting had caused the Lawlor family.
Last night, lawyers for Mr Corcoran contacted news organisations to say Mr Long's allegation was "totally untrue".
It is understood Mr Long also made the claim in a meeting earlier this week with management of Independent Newspapers, which is carrying out an internal investigation of its coverage of the late politician's death.
Mr Long has appeared in the witness box of the planning tribunal in relation to two accounts he opened in his own name on behalf of Mr Lawlor in 1997, when the politician was in financial difficulties.
A spokesman for Independent Newspapers said its investigation, which is being carried out by managing editor Michael Denieffe and director of human resources Declan Carlyle, was continuing. Mr Fanning and three of his senior editorial executives, Mr Corcoran, Willy Kealy and Ciarán Byrne, were interviewed last Wednesday as part of the inquiry.
The spokesman said the investigation would look at all aspects of the matter, including telephone records and conversations made in the run-up to publication of the Sunday Independent last weekend. It would also look at the coverage in other group titles, such as the Sunday World, Star on Sunday and Sunday Tribune.
Asked when the investigation would be finished, the spokesman said: "It will be concluded when it is concluded. We were criticised for our coverage last weekend, so all the more reason to take time in conducting this investigation."
Mr Long and Mr Lawlor's son, Niall, were critical of media coverage of the deceased politician in eulogies delivered at his funeral in Lucan on Thursday.
It also emerged yesterday that the car driven by Mr Suliamanov was built in 1999 and in good condition. Mr Suliamanov was a freelance limousine driver.
