24 Mar 2013

Boris Berezovsky death ‘unexplained’ say police

Police inspectors delve into Boris Berezovsky’s last days in a bid to solve his “unexplained” death, which they say currently shows no evidence of third party involvement.

The 67-year-old businessman was found dead at his Berkshire home on Saturday.

An employee of Mr Berezovsky’s, believed to be his bodyguard, called for an ambulance shortly after 3pm after forcing open a bathroom door and finding the oligarch dead on the floor.

The employee had not not seen Mr Berezovsky since 10.30pm on Friday night and had become concerned for his welfare, according to police.

Paramedics declared him dead at the scene on Saturday, but upon leaving his home their radiation detector (a health and safety device used routinely by emergency services known as a personal electronic dosimeter), triggered.

The trigger prompted specialist officers in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear substances to examine the property today, before later giving it the all-clear.

Cause of death

Detective Chief Inspector Kevin Brown, of Thames Valley Police, said: “It would be wrong to speculate on the cause of death until the post mortem has been carried out. We do not have any evidence at this stage to suggest third party involvement.”

Mr Berezovsky, who last year lost a multibillion-pound High Court battle with Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, was found dead after reportedly taking his own life.

Officers are currently carrying out a full forensic examination of the scene and earlier today a forensic investigation unit vehicle was seen passing through police cordons around Mr Berezovsky’s estate.

A Home Office post-mortem will be carried out but police said it was unlikely to be today.

Detective Chief Inspector Brown continued to describe the death as “unexplained”.

“We are at the early stages of the investigation and we are retaining an open mind as we progress,” he said.

“The investigation team are 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.

“We are acutely aware of the level of interest into his death and are focused on conducting a thorough investigation as we would with any unexplained death.”