Investigation reopened in spy’s death

An investigation has been reopened into the death of an Egyptian billionaire who allegedly helped Israel’s secret service. 

Dr. Ashraf Marwan was found dead in June 2007 on a London street directly under his apartment balcony in a prestigious London neighborhood, days after it was claimed that he helped the Mossad.

Israeli commentators claimed that Marwan was murdered by Egyptian intelligence officers following the claims that he was Israel’s most important spy in the run-up to the Yom Kippur War in 1973.  On the other hand, Egyptian commentators claim that it was Mossad agents who killed Marwan because, they claim, he was about to expose Israel’s secrets in a forthcoming book.

A British police source told the London weekly “Observe”’ that the case was transferred to Scotland Yard’s elite Specialist Crime Directorate after the previous team lost key evidence.

Marwan, 62, a businessman and son-in-law of former Egyptian President Gamal Nasser, was political and security advisor to President Anwar Sadat. He worked as a spy for various intelligence agencies including MI5, the CIA and the KGB.

Marwan’s family claims that the only copy of his unfinished memoirs, which he had been researching for several years, disappeared from his apartment on the day of his death. His wife, Mona, told investigators he warned her three times that he might be murdered. 

A witness told police that he saw two men of Mediterranean appearance peering over the balcony at Marwan’s body.

Marwan died weeks after the former head of Israeli military intelligence, Eli Zeira, claimed that Marwan was his key informant in the run-up to the Yom Kippur War.