Accessibility links

Breaking News

Key Informant In Magnitsky Case Reportedly Dies In Britain

Updated

Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov holds a portrait of Sergei Magnitsky as he protests against police lawlessness in front of the Interior Ministry in Moscow in March.
Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov holds a portrait of Sergei Magnitsky as he protests against police lawlessness in front of the Interior Ministry in Moscow in March.
Reports say a Russian businessman who was helping Swiss prosecutors uncover an alleged money-laundering scheme used by Russian officials has died.

The reports on November 28 said 44-year-old Aleksandr Perepilichny, a wealthy businessman who sought sanctuary in Britain three years ago, "collapsed on a Saturday two weeks ago" outside his mansion on the outskirts of London.

An unnamed British police spokeswoman was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying, "A postmortem examination was carried out which was inconclusive, so further tests are now being carried out."

A London-based businessman and Magnitsky's former employer, William Browder, confirmed to RFE/RL that Perepilichny was providing evidence against a network implicated in the 2009 death of Moscow lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

Magnitsky died in pretrial detention after implicating top Russian officials in an apparent scheme to defraud the government of $230 million.

Perepilichny reportedly provided evidence that led Swiss prosecutors to open an investigation earlier this year into a number of accounts at bank Credit Suisse.

Based on reporting by "The Independent" and Reuters

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG