Irish involvement in the Bolivian plot

As the Bolivian police continue their investigation in to the group that are accused of planning to assassinate President Evo Morales we are learning of more Irish connections than just Tipperary man Michael Dwyer.

There are two strands to the Bolivian investigation. One is looking at what happened in the Police raid when Dwyer, Eduardo Rosza Flores and Árpád Magyarosi were shot dead in their underwear while two others were arrested. The other investigation is trying to find out who was funding this group and what their plans were.

From the latter investigation we had already learned that Dwyer had been accompanied by three Irish-based eastern Europeans when he travelled to Bolivia in late 2008. One of these men is Tibor Revesz, who like the other two, worked for I-RMS, the security company which protects Shell's gas project in Mayo.

Last week we learned that two Irish passport holders had applied to work for this "private army" according to Bolivian security sources. Their CVs were found among those of Revesz's and others on a laptop belonging to Rosza Flores.

One of those men whose CV was found is a serving member of the Irish reserve defence forces who currently works for a private security firm in Iraq.

The other man is Erik Imre Benedek. Although Benedek is Hungarian he is listed as having an Irish passport. The Department of Foreign Affairs refused to confirm if this Irish passport listed on the laptop is genuine. Interestingly Benedek also listed I-RMS as his former employer in his CV.

It's still not clear how Dwyer and these other people came to be involved with Rosza Flores and whatever he was planning in Bolivia. What Revesz, Benedek and others can tell us should be revealing.

I spoke to Benedek last weekend and he confirmed he knew Dwyer but he was not willing to talk further.

Hopefully more on this next week...