A forensic investigator who probed the murky finances of impaled tycoon Scot Young says there is “no way” he jumped to his death.
International finance expert Burke Files has added to growing speculation shady forces were behind the “suicide” of the Dundee businessman, who suffered fatal injuries after falling from a window on to railings in London on Monday.
His comments have fuelled calls for Scotland Yard to look closer at the tragedy.
They come in the same weekend it emerged five friends of Young have also died in mysterious circumstances, with some reports suggesting one was bumped off by Vladimir Putin’s henchmen.
Boston-based financial private eye Mr Files was part of a crack unit which spent thousands of hours probing Young’s finances during his bitter seven-year divorce battle from wife Michelle, 49.
During the court case, self-made property magnate Young was jailed for refusing to co-operate. It led to accusations he was hiding his vast fortune.
Mr Files said: “The sort of man who prefers to go to jail instead of telling the court about his finances isn’t the sort of man who chucks himself out of windows.”
The 52-year-old father-of-two, son of former Dundee United player Duncan Young, was found impaled on railings outside his luxury penthouse in London.
Initial reports suggested he had been left “traumatised” after losing his estimated £400 million fortune. But it has since emerged a number of business associates have died in mysterious circumstances.
Sources told several news outlets that Young had a Russian mafia death sentence hanging over him.
The friend claimed the bankrupt property dealer owed a lot of cash to the “wrong sort of people”.
They added he had been held over the edge of a balcony at London’s Dorchester Hotel by the Russian mafia two years ago.
The friend added: “I believe Scot was murdered.”
Mr Files echoed those views. He said: “The police in London should reconsider Young’s death.
“He had one of the most extraordinary financial records of anyone I’ve examined. They should look at bringing in outside aid. I’d be honoured to help”
Mr Files was part of a team from US-based experts at Financial Examinations and Evaluations, who gleaned information from Young’s financial transactions to try and get to the bottom of where his money had gone.
He and his wife Michelle, who he reportedly gave a £1 million necklace for her 40th, split in 2006.
In 2009, judges ordered Scot to hand over £27,500 in maintenance every month for their daughters, Scarlet, 21, and Sash, 19,
But Young insisted he was broke and couldn’t pay which led to one of the UK’s most acrimonious divorces with Michelle demanding a settlement of £300 million.
Mr Files said Young was one of the “smartest men” he ever met. Young’s girlfriend Noelle Reno, 30, is said to be “devastated”.
The Metropolitan Police said it was not suspicious.
(Original Source for this article: http://www.sundaypost.com/news-views/uk/expert-dundee-death-fall-tycoon-scot-young-was-pushed-1.735486)