Russia sees fourth death in prominent tax fraud scandal
Perepilichnny was found by a passer-by, on the grounds of an exclusive estate where he was renting a house.
Russian whistle-blower, Alexander Perepilichnny, was the fourth individual connected to the British investment fund, Hermitage Capital Fund’s, investigation into tax fraud, to die in suspicious circumstances, British daily The Independent reported.
“A Russian supergrass who was helping Swiss prosecutors uncover a multi million pound money laundering scheme, used by corrupt Russian officials, has died in mysterious circumstances outside his Surrey home,” The Independent wrote. “Alexander Perepilichnny is the fourth person connected to a murky tax case to have met a suspicious end,” the paper added.
The whole issue began when Hermitage’s Moscow offices were raided by the police in 2007. Important documents and company ‘seals’ were reprimanded and subsequently used to steal USD 230 mln in company funds.
Hermitage hired Russian lawyer Segei Magnisky, to investigate the crime. He implicated several officials from the Russian Interior Ministry and was promptly arrested, allegedly by the very institution that he had discredited. Magnisky died in prison in November 2009, after being badly treated and reportedly not given medicine required to get better.
Perepilichnny approached Hermitage in the Spring of 2011 with fresh evidence pertaining to the defrauding of company millions via Swiss bank accounts. The Russian had information about the tax officials who had authorized alleged tax rebates, according to The Independent.
Perepilichnny was living in self-imposed exile in the UK. After it was revealed that he was the new whistle-blower working with Hermitage, the businessman has reportedly feared for his life.
The Russian Interior Ministry has denied having any connection to the scandal and subsequent deaths. Russian authorities blamed three individuals for orchestrating the scam. All three are now dead.
The British authorities are carrying out an inquest into Perepilichnny’s death although the postmortem carried out is inconclusive.
