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Georgian tycoon death 'natural' | Georgian tycoon death 'natural' |
(20 minutes later) | |
An exiled Georgian billionaire who had spoken of assassination fears died of natural causes, according to initial post-mortem tests, Surrey police said. | An exiled Georgian billionaire who had spoken of assassination fears died of natural causes, according to initial post-mortem tests, Surrey police said. |
Police had been treating the death of Badri Patarkatsishvili, 52, who died at his Surrey mansion, as "suspicious" - standard procedure with sudden deaths. | |
Toxicology tests are yet to be carried out on the tycoon, who died on Tuesday. | |
He was charged with plotting a coup in Georgia after protests last year and stood in recent elections. | He was charged with plotting a coup in Georgia after protests last year and stood in recent elections. |
Since being charged, Mr Patarkatsishvili had lived in self-imposed exile in Britain and Israel. | |
Litvinenko fears | |
A Surrey Police spokeswoman said there was "no indication that the sudden death of Badri Patarkatsishvili was from anything other than natural causes". | A Surrey Police spokeswoman said there was "no indication that the sudden death of Badri Patarkatsishvili was from anything other than natural causes". |
She said: "Extensive toxicology testing is yet to be carried out. This will take a number of weeks." | She said: "Extensive toxicology testing is yet to be carried out. This will take a number of weeks." |
There had been fears that Britain has seen a repeat of the murder of former Russian KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in November 2006. | |
The multi-millionaire businessman was one of Georgia's richest and most controversial men, the BBC's security correspondent Gordon Corera said. | |
He was deeply involved in the murky world of Georgian politics and had recently spoken of fears of a plot to murder him. | |
An inquest into Mr Patarkatsishvili's death will open on Friday at Woking Coroners Court. | An inquest into Mr Patarkatsishvili's death will open on Friday at Woking Coroners Court. |