The Bolivian prosecutor investigating an alleged plot to kill leftist President Evo Morales said a witness had implicated leading opposition figures in the conspiracy.
Michael Dwyer (24), from Tipperary, was one of three people shot dead last month after police raided a hotel in the opposition stronghold of Santa Cruz. Two others were arrested on suspicion of planning assassinations.
Marcelo Sosa, the prosecutor leading the investigations, told reporters a person linked to the group, Ignacio Villa, testified that Santa Cruz businessman Branko Marinkovic and the province's right-wing governor offered financial aid.
Mr Marinkovic made Villa "an economic offer" and Governor Ruben Costas "offered him a house and land," said Mr Sosa.
"The aim of both offers was to (encourage) them to finish what they had started, a string of attacks," said Mr Sosa, adding that Mr Costas, Mr Marinkovic and several other businessmen from Santa Cruz had been summoned to testify.
Neither Mr Costas nor Mr Marinkovic immediately responded to the accusations yesterday.
Mr Morales had already accused right-wing politicians of involvement in the plan, which Mr Costas and others have denied. Mr Costas described the alleged plot as a "show" and the opposition condemned the police action as an "execution."
Mr Sosa said a second witness declared that Mr Marinkovic, a fierce critic of Mr Morales and a prominent political activist, gave the group $200,000 to buy weapons.
In last month's raid, police killed the suspected ringleader of the gang, Bolivian Eduardo Rozsa, along with Mr Dwyer and a Romanian. A Bolivian and a Hungarian were arrested.
The Irish and Hungarian governments have questioned Bolivia's account that the men had plotted to kill Mr Morales and other leading public figures to create a "spiral of violence" that would destabilise the poor Andean nation.
Last week, the public prosecutor's office released photographs of the suspected mercenaries holding handguns and sniper rifles.
Reuters