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Former deputy PM Lepper buried after suicide

PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle 11.08.2011 17:02
Family members and politicians gathered in Krupy, Zachodniopomorskie province, north west Poland this afternoon for the funeral mass of former prime minister Andrzej Lepper, who committed suicide last Friday.

Andrzej
Andrzej Lepper's wife Irena (left) with sin and daughter; photo - PAP/Adam Warzawa

Attending the mass, which was closed to journalists at the request of Lepper's family, were his wife Irena, his son and daughter, former president of Poland Lech Walesa, and top officials from the Self Defence (Samoobrona) party, which Andrzej Lepper founded and led until he died aged 57.

Many of the party members were wearing red and white scarves, the symbol of rural based Self Defence.

Two officials from Belarus, where Lepper had contacts with the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko, failed to obtain visas to travel to Poland as they are on a black list of those not allowed into the country after the mass arrests which followed the disputed presidential elections in the ex-Soviet nation last December.

Lepper was a populist politician whose parliamentary career ended in 2007 amid corruption scandals and a 'sex for career advancement' scandal (see obituary here).

Although an autopsy found that there was no third party involvement in his death last Friday – Lepper was found hanging in his Warsaw office – an investigation is currently under way into the circumstances which led to the suicide. (pg)

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