This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Police investigating the death of a Russian whistleblower who died while jogging found “no evidence he was poisoned”, an inquest heard.

Alexander Perepilichnyy, 44, is said to have been helping specialist investment firm Hermitage Capital Management uncover a $230m (£150m) Russian money-laundering operation before he collapsed near his home in Weybridge, Surrey, on the afternoon of 10 November 2012.

The married father of two had taken out £3.5m worth of life insurance and applied for another £5m worth of policies.

The inquest at the Old Bailey in London is examining whether he was poisoned or died of natural causes.

On Friday, DS Ian Pollard of Surrey police told the court the original postmortem found no signs of third-party involvement or foul play.

A later forensic postmortem did not identify the cause of death, but Pollard said: “It’s not uncommon, sometimes you don’t, particularly when there was absolutely no evidence of third-party restraint, assault, attack, hypodermic injection or alien bodies found.”

He said tests, including plant toxicology at London’s Kew Gardens, were carried out by experts. “The conclusion of all of those tests was there was no evidence he had been poisoned. That, along with my other enquiries, led me to my conclusion that he has not been murdered,” he added.

Eugene Elias, who lived in the same private estate as Perepilichnyy for nine months, is said to have seen him out jogging as he drove out of the “guarded compound” with his wife.

“I remember a middle-aged man running up a hill with dark hair,” he said. “I remember somebody who looked very tired, exhausted, and running up a very steep hill with a grimace on his face as we drove by.”

In a statement, Elias said Perepilichnyy was dressed in dark navy blue shorts and a white T-shirt, adding: “His face looked noticeably white and he appeared very unwell by the look of his face.”

He also told police Perepilichnyy had his right arm across his stomach and he had joked to his wife: “He should not be running, he should be walking.”

Elias explained he decided to tell police what he had seen when he returned home to find a police cordon and paramedics at the scene.

The inquest was adjourned until Tuesday.