Relatives of former Uralkali CEO Baumgertner claim he was killed in Cyprus
The family of Vladislav Baumgertner, the former CEO of "Uralkali," who died in January in Cyprus under mysterious circumstances, believes he was murdered, writes "Kommersant". The businessman's elder sons and his first wife have appealed to the police demanding that permission for burial not be issued and an alternative investigation be conducted.
Vladislav Baumgertner
19-year-old Alexander and 24-year-old Roman Baumgertner, along with their mother Irina, doubt the official version, according to which Vladislav Baumgertner fell from a cliff during a climbing training session. They have filed a corresponding statement with the internal affairs bodies.
The businessman's family notes a number of inconsistencies: on January 7, the day of his disappearance, Baumgertner allegedly went to a business meeting and then stopped responding, although his phone remained active, and on January 8, incoming messages were answered from the device. Also on January 7, he unexpectedly checked into a hotel, although he was only an hour away from home, and on January 8, he went on a hike from which he did not return.
In addition, the family notes that the businessman had knee problems and a fear of heights, which casts doubt on the official cause of death.
Baumgertner's body was found on January 14 in a pass on the southern coast of Cyprus. Due to severe damage to the body, a DNA examination was conducted for identification. There is no official data on the cause of death yet; the investigation is ongoing by the Cyprus police and a British military base.
Meanwhile, other relatives of the businessman, including Baumgertner's last ex-wife Yulia, insist on cremation. The funeral is scheduled for February 21 at the Troyakurovskoye cemetery in Moscow. Despite the statement from the elder sons, permission for the body's release has already been obtained.
Earlier, Vladislav Baumgertner was already at the center of a criminal scandal: in 2013, he was arrested in Belarus on charges of abuses during the "potash war" between "Uralkali" and "Belaruskali," but the case was later closed.
Amid his disappearance in Cyprus, another mysterious death occurred: on January 8, Anton Panov, a cryptographer with ties to special services and an employee of the Russian Embassy in Nicosia, was found dead in the embassy building. The official version is suicide.
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