Georgia tycoon's body to be released for burial

Patarkatsishvili, Georgia's richest man, dropped dead onFebruary 13 at his mansion in southern England. He hadfrequently spoken of his fear of being assassinated.

British police have already said they have no reason tobelieve the 52-year-old was killed, but that toxicology teststo determine the cause of his death could take up to 10 weeks.

"Despite the ongoing investigation into the cause ofBadri's death, the family can repatriate him," the family saidin a statement.

The British coroner for the case had sanctioned the releaseof the body, the statement said, adding that Patarkatsishviliwould be buried in Tbilisi on February 28.

British police were not immediately available for comment.

Patarkatsishvili had lived in Britain since late last year,after Georgian authorities issued an arrest warrant againsthim, accusing him of plotting a coup against the president.

He ran as a candidate in Georgia's presidential election onJanuary 5, winning about 7 percent of the vote, but did notcampaign in his homeland for fear of detention.

His family said a decision had yet to be taken on thefuture of his holding in the Georgian broadcaster Imedi.

Georgia's government has complained that the independenttelevision station, which Patarkatsishvili co-owned with NewsCorp., was a mouthpiece for opponents during recentanti-government protests.

(Reporting by Niko Mchedlishvili and Conor Sweeney; Editingby Caroline Drees)