Boris Berezovsky death: no evidence of ‘third-party involvement,’ say police
Boris Berezovsky addresses the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice after losing his lawsuit against Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich on August 31, 2012 in London, England. He was found dead in his bathtub Saturday.
UK police said today that they have no evidence of “third-party involvement” in the death of 67-year-old Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky, the Guardian reported.
Berezovsky was found dead on the floor of a bathroom locked from the inside at his home in Ascot, Berkshire, on Saturday, the Associated Press reported.
The BBC said police searched the home for chemical, biological and nuclear material but gave it the "all-clear" on Sunday.
The search began after a paramedic's personal electronic dosimeter, known as a PED, was triggered on the scene, according to the BBC.
Berezovsky's close friend, former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko, died after he drank tea poisoned with the radioactive material polonium-210 in 2006.
Berezovsky, who made his money in oil and automobiles while Russia privatized state assets in the early 1990s, was a fierce critic of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, according to the AP. He’d been the target of previous assassination attempts, raising the possibility that foul play was involved.
However, he was said to be depressed due to financial difficulties, leading others to speculate he committed suicide, the Guardian reported. Berezovsky had recently lost a blackmail and breach of contract case against Roman Abrmovich, owner of the Chelsea football club, and had been ordered to pay him about $53 million to cover his legal fees.
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According to the Guardian:
Last week, he was reported to have been selling a £50,000 Andy Warhol portrait of Lenin.
“We are at the early stages of the investigation and we are retaining an open mind as we progress,” Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Brown said, according to the AP. “The investigation team is building a picture of the last days of Mr. Berezovsky’s life, speaking to close friends and family to gain a better understanding of his state of mind.”