Whistleblower in mystery death ‘had taken Viagra’

A Russian whistleblower who mysteriously died near his Surrey mansion had taken Viagra, it was claimed today.

Alexander Perepilichny, 44, was found dead near his luxury home on the exclusive gated St George’s Hill estate in Weybridge, Surrey, after he had been out jogging in November 2012.

The sudden nature of the death of Perepilichny, who had sought refuge in Britain in 2009, and his role in helping a Swiss investigation into a Russian money-laundering scheme has sparked speculation that he might have been murdered.

It has previously been reported he had spent the previous weekend with Elmira Medynska the weekend before

Alexander Perepilichny died mysteriously near his home in Surrey in 2012. It has previously been reported he had spent the previous weekend with Elmira Medynska the weekend before

Surrey Police previously said there was no evidence for this but an earlier pre-inquest hearing was told traces of a rare and deadly poison from the gelsemium plant had been found in his stomach. This was later questioned at an inquest hearing.

Andrei Pavlov, a lawyer linked to the case by Mr Perepilichny’s lawyers, has now protested his innocence and highlighted the role of a Viagra may have played in his death.

He told The Times: ‘The cause of death was clearly established during the inquest that took place in June 2017: acute heart failure during heavy physical exertion, while having signs of Viagra, alcohol and coffee in his blood after spending the weekend in the company of a Ukrainian model, far from his wife.’

It was previously reported that married father-of-two Mr Perepilichny was with Elmira Medynska, 27, in Paris two days before his death and they stayed at the opulent Hotel Bristol and dined at the nearby Four Seasons.

The businesswoman, who runs a ‘haute couture’ company, says on their night together he was ‘very stressed’, drinking heavily and was so distracted he bought her Laboutins in the wrong size. 

There is no suggestion Ms Medynska was involved in his death. She told Buzzfeed in June that he was ‘very stressed’ and drinking heavily before his death,

Ms Medynska has said Perepilichny was 'very stressed' and drinking heavily before his death. She said he was so distracted he bought her Laboutins in the wrong size

Ms Medynska has said Perepilichny was ‘very stressed’ and drinking heavily before his death. She said he was so distracted he bought her Laboutins in the wrong size

Mr Perepilichny collapsed and died while running near his home in Weybridge, Surrey, (pictured) in November 2012

Mr Perepilichny collapsed and died while running near his home in Weybridge, Surrey, (pictured) in November 2012

It is unlikely the Viagra would have directly caused Mr Perepilichny’s death, although it is possible its use was indicative of underlying health issues.  

Perepilichny had been providing evidence against those linked to the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky while in custody in Moscow in 2009. Magnitsky had accused Russian government officials of stealing $230 million. 

His case has been likened to the death of Alexander Litvinenko, who died after his tea was poisoned with a rare radioactive isotope in London in 2006. 

It has previously been suggested he could have been poisoned, possibly with sorrel soup. It has also been claimed he was on a ‘hit list’ and had received death threats.

His wife, Tatiana Perepilichnaya, however, has told an inquest into his death that she she did not believe her husband had been murdered.  

She said he behaved normally before his death and there was nothing to suggest her husband was being threatened. 

The inquest reopens on January 8.

Despite police ruling out foul play at the time, it was later claimed traces of a chemical that can be found in the poisonous plant gelsemium elegans were discovered in his stomach

Despite police ruling out foul play at the time, it was later claimed traces of a chemical that can be found in the poisonous plant gelsemium elegans were discovered in his stomach



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk