Widow blames financial problems for ex-UK army officer’s death in Istanbul

Emma Winberg, the wife of former British army officer James Le Mesurier who jumped to his death on Nov. 11, 2019 from his apartment in Istanbul, has said the ultimate cause of her husband's death was the financial problems he faced, not an international intrigue.

Speaking to British newspaper Daily Mail, Winberg dismissed rumors of any Syrian or Russian involvement in her husband's death, pointing to Le Mesurier's chief financial officer, Dutchman Johan Eleveld, as a suspect.

According to Winberg, her 48-year-old husband was "the driving force behind the legendary 'White Helmets,' the civilian rescue teams who risk life and limb to save others in Syria's bloody civil war."

He had "dedicated his life to a project called Mayday Rescue that provided training and equipment for the White Helmets, financed by Western countries including Britain."

"James hated bureaucracy. Mayday attracted some £90 million in donations from its Western backers. But in his rush to expand the organization, James neglected the paperwork," wrote the Daily Mail.

According to Winberg, "the man who wielded the stick was his own chief financial officer, Johan Eleveld."

Accusing the Dutchman of driving her husband to the edge of despair, Winberg said, "Elevand exploited a single mistake by James."

Mayday's boss had drawn some $50,000 in cash from the organization's safe to fund a daring rescue operation of the White Helmets trapped in southern Syria, a mission he dubbed "Magic Carpet."

Some of this money went missing and James later ordered staff to forge two receipts to cover up the loss.

"I hold Johan Eleveld responsible for James's death and the subsequent collapse of Mayday," Winberg told the Daily Mail.

"He created the...