Putin foe, exiled Russian oligarch found dead in UK home

He was a powerful Russian businessman whose falling-out with his government left him self-exiled in England. He blamed the Kremlin for the death of a former Russian spy who was poisoned by radioactive material. Now, Boris Berezovsky himself is dead. Police scouring the scene Sunday have found no sign so far of "third party involvement," a detective said. But details surrounding Berezovsky's death remain a mystery. Police say they haven't determined the cause. After a paramedic's radiation detector went off at the scene, investigators declared the area "safe and clear to work in," the Thames Valley Police said in a statement Sunday.

They did not specify what they believe triggered the alert, but emergency officials from the South Central Ambulance Service said the device, which is a regular part of paramedics' kits, can register false alarms.

As forensic investigators combed the scene Sunday, Berezovsky's body was still inside his house. On Saturday, a bodyguard told police he found Berezovsky lying on the bathroom floor.

Speculation over the tycoon's cause of death ran the gamut from suicide to heart attack.

Some pointed to his declining fortune as a possible clue. Last year Berezovksy lost what has been called one of the most expensive private lawsuits in history.

"Initial suggestions that Berezovsky may have committed suicide were quickly quashed by his close associates," Russia's state-owned RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The agency said a family friend told Russian media that Berezovsky had suffered a heart attack.

"It would be wrong to speculate on the cause of death until the post mortem has been carried out," Kevin Brown, the deputy senior investigating officer in the case, said in a statement.

"The investigation team are building a picture of the last days of Mr. Berezovsky's life," he said, "speaking to close friends and family to gain a better understanding of his state of mind."

A Putin foe

Berezovsky, a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused the Kremlin of causing the 2006 death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with the radioactive substance polonium-210.

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