Polly Peck death threats in Istanbul

A COOPERS & Lybrand partner working on the administration of Polly Peck, the collapsed business empire of Asil Nadir, has been beaten up in an Istanbul street and received death threats, writes Nigel Cope.

Chris Howell, 36, a partner in the local office of the accountancy firm, was attacked by two men outside his home on Tuesday evening. He has received 12 stitches in a head wound. The death threats were received in his office yesterday morning. Coopers said it had arranged police protection.

The incidents coincided with a court ruling in Turkey yesterday which held that three British administrators working on the Polly Peck case must testify against criminal charges filed against them. Michael Jordan and Richard Stone of Coopers & Lybrand and Christopher Morris of Touche Ross had hoped the court would throw out charges that arose after complaints made by Mr Nadir.