Security services aid police in Russian death probe

 
A still image from amateur camera phone video shows a sheet-covered body lying on a road near an ambulance in the gated private community of St George's Hill in Weybridge, Surrey November 10, 2012, and made available to Reuters on November 28, 2012. A Russian businessman helping Swiss prosecutors uncover a powerful fraud syndicate has died in mysterious circumstances outside his mansion in Britain, in a chilling twist to a Russian mafia scandal that has strained Moscow's ties with the West. Alexander Perepilichny, 44, a Russian citizen, collapsed and died abruptly outside his home on an upmarket estate in the English county of Surrey on Nov. 10, police said on November 28, 2012, the first time the case has come to light. REUTERS/stringer (BRITAIN - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW) NO COMMERCIAL OR BOOK SALES. NO SALES. NO ARCHIVES. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTERS THIRD PARTY DISTRIBUTORS
Reuters
Justin Davenport29 November 2012
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Detectives investigating the death of a Russian businessman who was a key whistleblower in a huge tax fraud are working with the security services to establish how he died.

Police have launched a major inquiry after Alexander Perepilichny, 44, collapsed and died yards from his rented £3 million home in Weybridge, Surrey.

The businessman, who sought refuge in Britain three years ago, had been helping a Swiss investigation into a Russian money-laundering scheme by giving evidence against corrupt officials.

He was a key witness against a network of Russian officials and criminals implicated in the tax fraud and the death in prison of Moscow anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

Mr Perepilichny is the fourth person linked to the Magnitsky case to have died in unexplained circumstances.

Surrey Police said they were treating the death on November 10 as “unexplained” and a post-mortem examination had proved “inconclusive”.

A second post mortem to be attended by a Home Office pathologist will be held tomorrow. Further toxicology tests are also being carried out.

A police spokesman added: “We are liaising and getting support from a number of other agencies.”

The death of the businessman has raised fears of “another Litvinenko” — a reference to the murder in London in November 2006 of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned with the radioactive element polonium 210.

Mr Perepilichny, who was not in ill health, was found collapsed in the road apparently after going jogging.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT