PUTIN CRITIC LINKED WITH $123M THEFT

A Russian exile found dead in the UK was being pursued through the London courts over the alleged theft of $123 million (Dh451.7m) from the former state airline Aeroflot.

Nikolai Glushkov, pictured – whose death at his south London home was revealed on Tuesday – was also the “closest friend” of Vladimir Putin’s arch-enemy Boris Berezovsky, who was found dead in 2013 at his mansion west of London.

Glushkov, 68, was found dead on Monday and had been suffering from ill health. He had reportedly run out of money as he fought a long-running civil claim against Aeroflot through the courts.

He had been due in court on the day his body was discovered to continue defending the claim against him and the estate of Berezovsky, but failed to make an appearance, according to The Guardian.

Counter-terrorist police are investigating his death in light of his friendship with Berezovsky. Officers said there was no evidence to link it with events in Salisbury and the assassination attempt on former double agent Sergei Skripal.

“The death is currently being treated as an unexplained,” said police in a statement, which did not name Glushkov. It said counter-terrorist officers were “leading the investigation as a precaution because of associations that the man is believed to have had”.