[3] In December 2007, Perepilichny's Quartell Trading signed a contract to buy $3,172,000 worth of "furniture", from Balec Ventures, a company owned by Issa al-Zeydi, who is a Russian of Syrian descent sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2014, due to his connection to the Scientific Studies and Research Center in Syria.
[3][8] Fiona Barton, the lawyer for Surrey Police, has continued to maintain that "No identifiable toxin was found and that remains the case", she said.
[9] Weeks after his death, the British press reported that in 2011 Perepilichny's name had reputedly been placed on a list of targets wanted dead in connection with the Treasury theft.
[10] Geoffrey Robertson QC, representing the company which had led the fraud investigation, stated in court that Perepilichny may have been talking to the British security services shortly before his death.
A U.S. intelligence report to Congress asserted with "high confidence" that Perepilichny was assassinated on the orders of Russian officials.