Magnitsky Case: ‘Supergrass’ Drops Dead

Sky News

A Russian businessman who was helping Swiss authorities investigate a multimillion-pound money laundering scheme in Russia has been found dead outside his Surrey home.

The Swiss prosecutor’s office confirmed 44-year-old Alexander Perepilichnyy had been assisting authorities with their inquiries.

Hermitage Capital was once one of the largest foreign investors in Russia but fell victim to apparent conspiracy by Russian interior ministry officials and tax officers to defraud the Russian tax system.

Corporate seals were taken from Hermitage Capital following a police raid and used apply for a series of tax rebates. The rebates were signed off by courts and tax offices and the money was transferred into a bank which was liquidated shortly afterwards.

The Independent newspaper reported that Mr Perepilichnyy was a key witness against the Klyuev Group, a network of Russian officials and criminals implicated in a series of tax frauds and the death in custody of Sergei Magnitsky, a Moscow lawyer hired by Hermitage.

It added that he was the fourth person to be linked to the scandal who had died suddenly.

Mr Magnitsky died aged 37 in November 2009 from acute heart failure in a Russian pre-trial detention facility after being accused of committing the tax fraud himself.

Hermitage Capital declined to comment on Mr Perepilichnyy’s death.

Surrey Police said it was investigating the “unexplained” death of a man in his forties who collapsed in Weybridge on Saturday, November 10.

“The death remains under investigation whilst officers await the results of the post-mortem and toxicology tests, ” a spokesman said.

“Surrey Police continues to work closely with the coroner’s office whilst the investigation remains ongoing.”

Mr Perepilichnyy reportedly sought sanctuary in Britain three years ago and lived in a luxury development in Weybridge.

According to Russian media reports, Mr Perepilichnyy was a former business partner of Vladlen Stepanov, whom Magnitsky had named as one of the suspects in the money laundering. займ на карту срочно без отказа buy over the counter medicines https://zp-pdl.com/get-quick-online-payday-loan-now.php https://zp-pdl.com/online-payday-loans-cash-advances.php онлайн займ