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| Police lost key evidence in Russian whistleblower case, inquest told | Police lost key evidence in Russian whistleblower case, inquest told |
| (7 months later) | |
| Evidence of half billion-dollar transactions, threats and links to a high-profile money-laundering case were lost by police investigating the death of a wealthy Russian, an inquest in London has heard. | Evidence of half billion-dollar transactions, threats and links to a high-profile money-laundering case were lost by police investigating the death of a wealthy Russian, an inquest in London has heard. |
| A civilian police translator trawled through documents, text messages and Skype chats taken from the computer of Alexander Perepilichnyy in December 2012 after his death the month before. | A civilian police translator trawled through documents, text messages and Skype chats taken from the computer of Alexander Perepilichnyy in December 2012 after his death the month before. |
| Russian-born Ekaterina Clarke-O’Connell provided a snapshot of the lost evidence to the inquest, before the coroner, Nicholas Hilliard QC, at the Old Bailey, which is examining whether the 44-year-old businessman was murdered or died of natural causes. | Russian-born Ekaterina Clarke-O’Connell provided a snapshot of the lost evidence to the inquest, before the coroner, Nicholas Hilliard QC, at the Old Bailey, which is examining whether the 44-year-old businessman was murdered or died of natural causes. |
| She concluded that something was “not right”, as she recalled massive sums of money – up to $500m (£310m in November 2012) – flowing through accounts, the Old Bailey heard. | She concluded that something was “not right”, as she recalled massive sums of money – up to $500m (£310m in November 2012) – flowing through accounts, the Old Bailey heard. |
| At the time he collapsed while jogging near his home in Weybridge, Surrey, he was helping the UK-based investment fund Hermitage Capital, co-founded by the financier Bill Browder, to expose a $230m (£142m in November 2012) money-laundering operation. | At the time he collapsed while jogging near his home in Weybridge, Surrey, he was helping the UK-based investment fund Hermitage Capital, co-founded by the financier Bill Browder, to expose a $230m (£142m in November 2012) money-laundering operation. |
| In one of the most chilling episodes of the cold war, the Bulgarian dissident was poisoned with a specially adapted umbrella on Waterloo Bridge. As he waited for a bus, Markov felt a sharp prick in his leg. The opposition activist, who was an irritant to the communist government of Bulgaria, died three days later. A deadly pellet containing ricin was found in his skin. His unknown assassin is thought to have been from the secret services in Bulgaria. | In one of the most chilling episodes of the cold war, the Bulgarian dissident was poisoned with a specially adapted umbrella on Waterloo Bridge. As he waited for a bus, Markov felt a sharp prick in his leg. The opposition activist, who was an irritant to the communist government of Bulgaria, died three days later. A deadly pellet containing ricin was found in his skin. His unknown assassin is thought to have been from the secret services in Bulgaria. |
| The fatal poisoning of the former FSB officer sparked an international incident. Litvinenko fell ill after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium. He met his killers in a bar of the Millennium hotel in Mayfair. The pair were Andrei Lugovoi – a former KGB officer turned businessman, who is now a deputy in Russia’s state Duma – and Dmitry Kovtun, a childhood friend of Lugovoi’s from a Soviet military family. Putin denied all involvement and refused to extradite either of the killers. | The fatal poisoning of the former FSB officer sparked an international incident. Litvinenko fell ill after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium. He met his killers in a bar of the Millennium hotel in Mayfair. The pair were Andrei Lugovoi – a former KGB officer turned businessman, who is now a deputy in Russia’s state Duma – and Dmitry Kovtun, a childhood friend of Lugovoi’s from a Soviet military family. Putin denied all involvement and refused to extradite either of the killers. |
| The exiled Russian banker survived an attempt on his life as he got out of a cab in east London. He was shot four times with a silenced pistol. He had been involved in a bitter dispute with two former business partners. | The exiled Russian banker survived an attempt on his life as he got out of a cab in east London. He was shot four times with a silenced pistol. He had been involved in a bitter dispute with two former business partners. |
| The businessman collapsed while running near his home in Surrey. Traces of a chemical that can be found in the poisonous plant gelsemium were later found in his stomach. Before his death, Perepilichnyy was helping a specialist investment firm uncover a $230m Russian money-laundering operation, a pre-inquest hearing was told. Hermitage Capital Management claimed that Perepilichnyy could have been deliberately killed for helping it uncover the scam involving Russian officials. He may have eaten a popular Russian dish containing the herb sorrel on the day of his death, which could have been poisoned. | The businessman collapsed while running near his home in Surrey. Traces of a chemical that can be found in the poisonous plant gelsemium were later found in his stomach. Before his death, Perepilichnyy was helping a specialist investment firm uncover a $230m Russian money-laundering operation, a pre-inquest hearing was told. Hermitage Capital Management claimed that Perepilichnyy could have been deliberately killed for helping it uncover the scam involving Russian officials. He may have eaten a popular Russian dish containing the herb sorrel on the day of his death, which could have been poisoned. |
| The exiled billionaire was found hanged in an apparent suicide after he had spent more than decade waging a high-profile media battle against his one-time protege Putin. A coroner recorded an open verdict after hearing conflicting expert evidence about the way he died. A pathologist who conducted a postmortem examination on the businessman’s body said he could not rule out murder. | The exiled billionaire was found hanged in an apparent suicide after he had spent more than decade waging a high-profile media battle against his one-time protege Putin. A coroner recorded an open verdict after hearing conflicting expert evidence about the way he died. A pathologist who conducted a postmortem examination on the businessman’s body said he could not rule out murder. |
| An associate of Berezovsky whom he helped to launder money, he was found impaled on railings after he fell from a fourth-floor flat in central London. A coroner ruled that there was insufficient evidence of suicide. But Young, who was sent to prison in January 2013 for repeatedly refusing to reveal his finances during a divorce row, told his partner he was going to jump out of the window moments before he was found. | An associate of Berezovsky whom he helped to launder money, he was found impaled on railings after he fell from a fourth-floor flat in central London. A coroner ruled that there was insufficient evidence of suicide. But Young, who was sent to prison in January 2013 for repeatedly refusing to reveal his finances during a divorce row, told his partner he was going to jump out of the window moments before he was found. |
| A month before his death, Perepilichnyy had also fought off a legal challenge by a debt recovery firm allegedly led by the prime suspect in the Alexander Litvinenko poison case. | A month before his death, Perepilichnyy had also fought off a legal challenge by a debt recovery firm allegedly led by the prime suspect in the Alexander Litvinenko poison case. |
| Lucas Fear-Segal, representing Perepilichnyy’s life insurers Legal and General, told Clarke-O’Connell: “Essentially, the original documents you looked at have gone missing. | Lucas Fear-Segal, representing Perepilichnyy’s life insurers Legal and General, told Clarke-O’Connell: “Essentially, the original documents you looked at have gone missing. |
| “It’s either the fault of Surrey police or south-east counter-terrorism unit, and backup cannot be accessed by Surrey police so all we have got is you.” | “It’s either the fault of Surrey police or south-east counter-terrorism unit, and backup cannot be accessed by Surrey police so all we have got is you.” |
| Recalling the documents, the witness said: “They were work-related to the deceased. We were given trigger words that could flag up threats, anything unusual, money-laundering activities, some names. | Recalling the documents, the witness said: “They were work-related to the deceased. We were given trigger words that could flag up threats, anything unusual, money-laundering activities, some names. |
| “It seems like something was missing. The files were presented to us in chaotic order so it could be just a random picture.” | “It seems like something was missing. The files were presented to us in chaotic order so it could be just a random picture.” |
| Asked iwhether she found evidence of money laundering, Clarke-O’Connell said: “I have seen large sums of money going in and out of different accounts ... If you think to see something suspicious, these large sums of money, as a human, you think something is not right. | Asked iwhether she found evidence of money laundering, Clarke-O’Connell said: “I have seen large sums of money going in and out of different accounts ... If you think to see something suspicious, these large sums of money, as a human, you think something is not right. |
| “My job was to flag up something mentioning large sums of money, which I did.” | “My job was to flag up something mentioning large sums of money, which I did.” |
| She found three threatening text messages, with the first saying in Russian: “Alexander you will go to prison for a long time” and demanding he pay the equivalent of £6,000 in roubles. | She found three threatening text messages, with the first saying in Russian: “Alexander you will go to prison for a long time” and demanding he pay the equivalent of £6,000 in roubles. |
| The next text told him in Russian not to “do anything silly because we have everything under control”. | The next text told him in Russian not to “do anything silly because we have everything under control”. |
| A text message in English from Perepilichnyy’s wife, Tatiana, said someone called Rishat was “milking him like a cow – he betrayed you a long time ago”. | A text message in English from Perepilichnyy’s wife, Tatiana, said someone called Rishat was “milking him like a cow – he betrayed you a long time ago”. |
| Fear-Segal asked Clarke-O’Connell whether she had not figured out that Rishat was Rishat Ismagilov, Perepilichnyy’s brother-in-law who was said to be involved in a Russian money-laundering vehicle. | Fear-Segal asked Clarke-O’Connell whether she had not figured out that Rishat was Rishat Ismagilov, Perepilichnyy’s brother-in-law who was said to be involved in a Russian money-laundering vehicle. |
| He also suggested the evidence could show Perepilichnyy’s business being “controlled by some sort of extortionist”. | He also suggested the evidence could show Perepilichnyy’s business being “controlled by some sort of extortionist”. |
| The court heard the lost documents may have illustrated how Perepilichnyy was trying to minimise his role in the money-aundering case and reach agreement on his evidence to Swiss authorities. | The court heard the lost documents may have illustrated how Perepilichnyy was trying to minimise his role in the money-aundering case and reach agreement on his evidence to Swiss authorities. |
| His Skype messages referred to Hermitage, Swiss authorities and money laundering and having “all the documents to prove this”. | His Skype messages referred to Hermitage, Swiss authorities and money laundering and having “all the documents to prove this”. |
| On 13 October, 2012, Perepilichnyy made an internet search for an article on Sergei Magnistky, the late Russian lawyer who helped uncover the Hermitage fraud. | On 13 October, 2012, Perepilichnyy made an internet search for an article on Sergei Magnistky, the late Russian lawyer who helped uncover the Hermitage fraud. |
| Clarke-O’Connell confirmed she found nothing on the computer about Perepilichnyy’s health being poor or of concern. | Clarke-O’Connell confirmed she found nothing on the computer about Perepilichnyy’s health being poor or of concern. |
| John Beggs QC, for Surrey police, complained the witness was giving an “inexpert” opinion on what was “fragmentary evidence”. | John Beggs QC, for Surrey police, complained the witness was giving an “inexpert” opinion on what was “fragmentary evidence”. |
| Investigating officer DS Ian Pollard said Surrey police was given two discs but the computer data was not on them. | Investigating officer DS Ian Pollard said Surrey police was given two discs but the computer data was not on them. |
| Investigators were unable to obtain a backup copy from Sectu. | Investigators were unable to obtain a backup copy from Sectu. |
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