Putin Enemy Who Feared for His Life No Longer Has to Fear for His Life Since He's Dead

Amazing how the political enemies of Vladimir Paranoid keep winding up dead.

Surely, it's all just a coincidence.

A British-based Russian billionaire who feared he was about to be murdered has been found dead at his home.

Badri Patarkatsishvili, 52, was found dead at his £10 million house near Leatherhead, Surrey, at about 11pm last night.

Police have referred the death to the Major Crime Investigation Team and are treating it as suspicious.

Mr Patarkatsishvili is thought to have died of a suspected heart attack and a post mortem will be carried out later today.

The oligarch, who made his £6 billion fortune in his native Georgia, said recently of his political enemies: "I believe they want to kill me."

He was an opponent of Russian president Vladimir Putin but the most likely threat is believed to have come from Georgia.

He is charged there with plotting a coup after standing unsuccessfully against president Mikhail Saakashvili in elections.

Mr Patarkatsishvili was a close friend of Boris Berezovsky, another so-called oligarch who is also an outspoken critic of Mr Putin.

The oligarch appeared in good health during a four-hour meeting held in the City yesterday with Mr Berezovsky and two other exiled tycoons, Nikolay Glushkov and Yuli Dubov, all wanted in Moscow.

He had said in December that he had 120 bodyguards but did not feel safe anywhere.

You'll recall this isn't the first Putin enemy to wind up dead under rather mysterious circumstances.

Mr Berezovsky spoke of his shock today at his friend's death, which will inevitably raise comparisons with the assassination of

Mr Patarkatsishvili was an opponent of Russian president Vladimir Putin
Mr Litvinenko, a former KGB spy, died in London in November 2006 after he was poisoned with Polonium-210.

His death sparked a host of conspiracy theories, fuelled by a message recorded by him but only played after his death in which he directly accused Mr Putin of being involved in his murder.

The Crown Prosecution Service later said they wanted to charge Andrei Lugovoi, also a former KGB officer, with his murder but extradition has been blocked by Russia where he has immunity from prosecution as an MP.

Mr Berezovsky said that Mr Patarkatsishvili had not been ill but had complained about his heart when they met yesterday.