Georgia billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili dies in suspect circumstances

Miercuri, 13 februarie 2008, 12:57 English | Top News

One of the most important opponents of Georgia president Mikhail Saakasvili, billionaire Badri Patarkatsisvili, died in London on Thursday night because of a heart attack, his counselors announced, quoted by BBC. According to Daily Mail, the police believe that the death of the 52-year old billionaire is "suspect", an investigation being opened in the case. The oligarch recently confessed to his close friends that he is afraid he might be assassinated, Daily Mail adds.

The death of Patarkatsisvili comes only one day after he met in London another exiled oligarch, Boris Berezovski. According to his friends, Patarkatsisvili never suffered from any heart condition.

Patarkatsisvili ran in January for presidency in Georgia, financing his own campaign. Authorities accused him of planning a coupe d’état, his name being connected to the Opposition protests in Tbilisi, at the end of 2007.

The 6 billion UK pounds sterling worth businessman lived mainly in London and in Israel.