METRO FREE Wednesday, October 14, 2009 HELP METRO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER TODAY Death in Bolivia: Open verdict over Michael Dwyer shooting BY ELLEN OREILLY Has there been a big cover-up?A security worker was shot through the heart with a single bullet over an al- leged plot to assassinate Bolivias pres- ident, an inquest in Dublin heard yes- terday. Michael Dwyer and two other men were gunned down by security forces during a raid on a hotel in the capital santa cruz on April 16. But yesterdays evidence by state Pathologist Marie cassidy contradicted the Bolivian police, who said Mr Dwyer was killed by six bullets and he had gun residue on his hands. this was also contradicted by Dr cassidy. Dublin county coroners court was told Mr Dwyer and the people he was with had been un- der investigation after the home of the Bolivian cardinal was targeted in a bomb attack. Bolivian ambassador Beatriz souviron said a cache of arms and explosives recovered at a trade fair was also thought to be linked to the group. the ambassador said investigations were con- tinuing but maintained police were going to ar- rest the three when the shootout started result- ing in 51 bullets being fired. Outside the hearing Mr Dwyers parents, Mar- tin and caroline, demanded to know the full truth about that fatal night. that single bullet through his heart has gone straight through our hearts too, they said in a statement. A jury returned an open verdict. it is claimed Mr Dwyer, 24, a construction management graduate from Ballinderry in co tipperary, was part of an elaborate right-wing assassination plot to target evo Morales, Boliv- ias first indigenous president. He was killed with eduardo rozsa Flores, a Bolivian of Hungarian descent who held croatian citizenship, and Arpad Magyarosi, a romanian who held Hungarian citizenship. Ms souviron said Mr Dwyer and a group of other men travelled to Bolivia on airline tickets paid for by Alejandro Melgar. she told the inquest Mr Melgar was a Bolivian businessman arrested for being part of a terrorist plot to separate santa cruz from the country. the ambassador, who admitted only looking at the case two days ago, said a police report stated 51 bullets were fired in the Hotel Las Americas but contained no ballistic details. she also said Mr Flores, a former soldier, had been previously accused of assassinating a swedish journalist. Paul Malone, solicitor for the Dwyer family, raised concerns over the official report by Boliv- ian authorities which he claimed left too many gaps. While a Bolivian autopsy said Mr Dwyer was killed by six bullets, the irish state Patholo- gist recorded one bullet wound fired from above possibly as he was sitting up in bed. Bolivian police: n Michael wasshot six timesn He had gunresidue on hishands Irelands StatePathologist:n Michael wasshot once in theheart n There was nogun residue onhis hands Gunned down: Michael Dwyer was shot dead in a hotel room in Santa Cruz, Bolivia See Page 14 WIN A COPY OF STEPHEN KINSELLAS NEW BOOK index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html