Russian tycoon died by hanging, UK police say

Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, whose body was found in the locked bathroom of his luxury mansion near London over the weekend, died by hanging, British police said on Monday.

An autopsy showed no signs of a violent struggle but further tests will be carried out, including toxicology and histology examinations, police said.

A forensic examination of his home will continue for several days, police said.

The 67-year-old Berezovsky's body was found in his sprawling property in Ascot, an affluent town a few kilometers from Windsor Castle, on Saturday.

"The results of the post-mortem examination, carried out by a Home Office pathologist, have found the cause of death is consistent with hanging," police said in a statement.

They did not specify whether the businessman hanged himself, but have said there is no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved in the death.

Surprising death

Once one of Russia's richest men and a Kremlin powerbroker, Berezovsky fled to Britain in 2001 and claimed political asylum after a bitter falling out with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He became a vocal critic of the Kremlin.

Berezovsky had survived several assassination attempts in Britain and Russia, including a car bomb in 1994 that killed his driver.

A mathematician-turned-Mercedes dealer, Berezovsky built his wealth during Russia's chaotic privatization of state assets in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In return for backing then-Russian president Boris Yeltsin, he gained political clout and opportunities to buy state assets such as oil and gas at knockdown prices.

He was charged in Russia with fraud and embezzlement.

Berezovsky later associated himself with ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, another Kremlin critic. Litvinenko died after ingesting polonium, a rare and highly radioactive element, in his tea at a London hotel in 2006.

In recent years, Berezovsky's fortunes declined with numerous expensive court cases.

His friends and associates have said he felt devastated after losing a legal battle against former partner Roman Abramovich over shares in Russia's fourth-biggest oil company last year. At the time, British Judge Elizabeth Gloster humiliated him publicly by saying he was an "unimpressive and inherently unreliable witness" who would say "almost anything to support his case".

An impulsive and fast-talking character, Berezovsky lived the adrenaline-fueled life of Russia's A-team of oligarchs, known for his love of cognac, beautiful women and an ability to talk well into the night.

He suffered another blow in 2011 when he was forced to pay one of Britain's biggest divorce settlements to his former wife Galina, with media reports saying the settlement is believed to be more than $100 million.

Reuters-AP

(China Daily 03/27/2013 page10)