Wife of dead whistleblower ‘silenced by Russian threats’
THE widow of an allegedly poisoned whistleblower has been “uncooperative” with British authorities, prompting police concerns that she came under pressure after “Russian threats”, The Sunday Telegraph can disclose.
A police document drawn up during the investigation into the death of Alexander Perepilichnyy stated that “concern has started to develop” around the wealthy Russian’s wife, Tatiana.
Mr Perepilichnyy collapsed and died while running near his £3million home in Weybridge, Surrey, on Nov 10 2012. The 44-year-old had been in possession of documents allegedly showing how senior Moscow tax officials had benefited from a £155million fraud perpetrated by a Russian crime gang, and an inquest is examining whether he was poisoned.
One of the lines of inquiry during the inquest at the Old Bailey is the sorrel soup prepared by Mrs Perepilichnyy for her husband’s lunch, shortly before he collapsed. She told the inquest that she also consumed some of the dish.
Tests so far have failed to identify any poison in Mr Perepilichnyy’s body. However, botanists at Kew Gardens are now conducting a fresh test of material from his digestive system, having only recently been provided with it.
During a hearing last month, a pathologist said he would have referred the examination to a Home Office specialist had he known “what he discovered a few days later” – that there was a chance of poisoning.
Hearings have also revealed police could have lost several key strands of evidence because they failed to class the death as suspicious for more than a fortnight. Det Supt Ian Pollard, of Sur- rey Police, told the inquest that officers initially “did not deem the death to be suspicious” partly because they found no “signs of injury”.
CCTV footage from the high-security estate shortly before Mr Perepilichnyy died was overwritten having not been requested in time, a detective told his inquest. Mr Pollard also admitted that there was no “detailed search” of the area where the body was found. Mrs Perepilichnyy is said to have refused to hand over one of her husband’s mobile phones and police suspected that a laptop she released to them was a family computer rather than “the one used predominantly by Alexander in order to conduct his business”.
A detective sergeant who acted as a family liaison officer (FLO) between Mrs Perepilichnyy and Surrey Police was asked about an application for a legal order prepared by the force to seek data about Mr Perepilichnyy’s phones.
The document stated: “Concern has started to develop around Tatiana for the following reasons: first, there was the issue about the telephone; secondly, there was the issue about the laptop; thirdly, it was noted about the toxicology in that he had had lunch that day with his wife at home; fourthly Tatiana has often not been cooperative – while personal, cultural and grief reasons are considered possibilities, there are concerns that this could be deliberate because she does not wish to assist the police, or it could be that she is in fear, under pressure from others, which could be linked to the Russian threats.”
The inquest heard how FLOs recorded several “issues of safety” raised by Mrs Perepilichnyy three weeks after her husband’s death. However, she contradicted the report during questioning last month.
“She disclosed that not long ago she returned home unexpectedly and overheard Alexander on the phone to an unknown person,” stated the police report. “He was telling that person that pressure was being put upon him.”
Mrs Perepilichnyy’s lawyer told the inquest that she had endured a “furore” of publicity while grieving.
The inquest continues in September.