Russian whistleblower dies in UK under strange circumstances

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By ReutersA Russian businessman helping Swiss prosecutors uncover a powerful fraud  syndicate has died in unexplained circumstances near his mansion in  Britain, in a chilling twist to a Russian mafia scandal that has  strained Moscow's ties with the West.

Follow @NBCNewsWorld Alexander Perepilichny,  44, sought refuge in Britain three years ago and had been helping a  Swiss investigation into a Russian money-laundering scheme by providing  evidence against corrupt officials, his colleagues and media reports  said.

He has also provided evidence against those linked to the  2009 death of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, a case that  caused an international outcry and prompted the United States to push  for a bill cracking down on Russian corruption.

Perepilichny, a  Russian citizen, collapsed and died not far from his home on an  upmarket, heavily protected estate in the county of Surrey, south of  London, on November 10.

He is now the fourth person linked to the Magnitsky case to have died under strange circumstances.

"It  is being treated as unexplained," a police spokeswoman said. "A  post-mortem examination was carried out which was inconclusive. So  further tests are now being carried out."  




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