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| Georgia tycoon death 'suspicious' | Georgia tycoon death 'suspicious' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| British police have said they are treating as "suspicious" the death of Georgian tycoon and opposition politician Badri Patarkatsishvili. | British police have said they are treating as "suspicious" the death of Georgian tycoon and opposition politician Badri Patarkatsishvili. |
| The 52-year-old died in Surrey, England on Tuesday. Aides said he had a heart attack, but his death has been referred to the Major Crimes Investigation Unit. Mr Patarkatsishvili ran against President Mikhail Saakashvili in elections in January. | |
| He has been charged with plotting a coup following protests last year. | He has been charged with plotting a coup following protests last year. |
| Since then, Mr Patarkatsishvili has lived in self-imposed exile in Britain and Israel. | Since then, Mr Patarkatsishvili has lived in self-imposed exile in Britain and Israel. |
| The multi-millionaire businessman was one of Georgia's richest and most controversial men, the BBC's Matthew Collin in Tbilisi says. | The multi-millionaire businessman was one of Georgia's richest and most controversial men, the BBC's Matthew Collin in Tbilisi says. |
| He financed his own presidential campaign in January. | He financed his own presidential campaign in January. |
| The Georgian government came to regard him as its most powerful opponent, our correspondent says. | The Georgian government came to regard him as its most powerful opponent, our correspondent says. |
| Post-mortem examination | |
| "Police were called to an address in Leatherhead in Surrey late yesterday evening (around 2300 GMT) following the collapse and death of a Georgian businessman, Badri Patarkatsishvili who is believed to have been 52," British police said in a statement. | "Police were called to an address in Leatherhead in Surrey late yesterday evening (around 2300 GMT) following the collapse and death of a Georgian businessman, Badri Patarkatsishvili who is believed to have been 52," British police said in a statement. |
| "As with all unexpected deaths it is being treated as suspicious. A post-mortem will be held later today [Wednesday] to establish the cause of death," it said. | "As with all unexpected deaths it is being treated as suspicious. A post-mortem will be held later today [Wednesday] to establish the cause of death," it said. |
| The death of Badri Patarkatsishvili is a terrible tragedy - I have lost my closest friend Boris Berezovsky | The death of Badri Patarkatsishvili is a terrible tragedy - I have lost my closest friend Boris Berezovsky |
| The results of the post-mortem examination, which will be carried out in Guildford, are not expected to be conclusive, and further toxicology tests will be carried out. | The results of the post-mortem examination, which will be carried out in Guildford, are not expected to be conclusive, and further toxicology tests will be carried out. |
| Surrey Police later confirmed they had referred the death to their Major Crimes Investigations Unit. | Surrey Police later confirmed they had referred the death to their Major Crimes Investigations Unit. |
| Mr Patarkatsishvili's former business associate, exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, said he had seen him that day. | Mr Patarkatsishvili's former business associate, exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, said he had seen him that day. |
| He was not ill but had complained about his heart, he said. | He was not ill but had complained about his heart, he said. |
| "The death of Badri Patarkatsishvili is a terrible tragedy," he said in a statement. "I have lost my closest friend." | "The death of Badri Patarkatsishvili is a terrible tragedy," he said in a statement. "I have lost my closest friend." |
| "This is a huge loss for all of his family and friends." | "This is a huge loss for all of his family and friends." |
| Mr Berezovsky said he would make no further comment on the circumstances of Mr Patarkatsishvili's death until the authorities had completed their investigation. | Mr Berezovsky said he would make no further comment on the circumstances of Mr Patarkatsishvili's death until the authorities had completed their investigation. |
| 'Assassination plot' | 'Assassination plot' |
| A supporter of the so-called Rose Revolution which brought Mr Saakashvili to power in 2004, Mr Patarkatsishvili later turned against the government and began financing opposition parties. | A supporter of the so-called Rose Revolution which brought Mr Saakashvili to power in 2004, Mr Patarkatsishvili later turned against the government and began financing opposition parties. |
| Mr Patarkatsishvili financed several Georgian opposition groups | Mr Patarkatsishvili financed several Georgian opposition groups |
| The authorities accused him of offering a $100m (£50m) bribe to a senior police official to help him overthrow the government and seize the Georgian interior minister. | The authorities accused him of offering a $100m (£50m) bribe to a senior police official to help him overthrow the government and seize the Georgian interior minister. |
| He denied the charge, saying that he himself was being targeted in an assassination plot. | He denied the charge, saying that he himself was being targeted in an assassination plot. |
| But the main opposition tried to distance itself from his election campaign, and he came third with just 7% of the vote behind their official candidate Levan Gachechiladze. | But the main opposition tried to distance itself from his election campaign, and he came third with just 7% of the vote behind their official candidate Levan Gachechiladze. |
| Mr Patarkatsishvili co-owned Georgia's popular Imedi TV station with Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. | Mr Patarkatsishvili co-owned Georgia's popular Imedi TV station with Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. |
| Mr Saakashvili pulled the plug on Imedi - the main outlet for opposition views - amid a brief period of emergency rule last November that saw troops tear-gas protesters in Tbilisi. | Mr Saakashvili pulled the plug on Imedi - the main outlet for opposition views - amid a brief period of emergency rule last November that saw troops tear-gas protesters in Tbilisi. |
| The tycoon made his fortune in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. | The tycoon made his fortune in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. |