TBILISI (Reuters) - Several thousand Georgians paid their last respects on Thursday to the country's richest man, Badri Patarkatsishvili, in a low key funeral ceremony which his most well-known business partner did not attend.
Patarkatsishvili's widow Inna, his two daughters and hismother were joined by leading opposition figures for theservice at his large home on the outskirts of Tbilisi.
Patarkatsishvili's former business partner, Russianbusinessman and Kremlin critic Boris Berezovksy was absent.Berezovsky's wife did attend.
Berezovsky, wanted in Russia on corruption charges that hesays are politically motivated, had said he would attend if hereceived a visa despite fears that Georgia would act on theRussian-issued international arrest warrant for him.
Berezovsky lives in self-imposed exile in Britain.
Patarkatsishvili, a billionaire opponent of GeorgianPresident Mikhail Saakashvili, died suddenly this month at hispalatial estate near London. Police initially treated the deathas suspicious, but have found no evidence of foul play.
Patarkatsishvili had lived in Britain since late last year.Georgian authorities issued an arrest warrant against him,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.
There was no representation from the Georgian government atthe funeral. Patarkatsishvili was a driving force behind aseries of opposition protests late last year. He was wanted inGeorgia on charges of plotting a coup.
Between two and three thousand Georgians also turned out topay their respects, estimated a Reuters witness.
"Badri did a lot for our country. He was helping manypeople, it's a very big loss for all of us," Manana Chkuaseli,a local woman in her 50s said.
(Reporting by Margarita Antidze; writing by Conor Sweeney;Editing by Elizabeth Piper)
