Posted on 12/14/2012 12:23:53 AM PST by nickcarraway
The 43-year-old died in November 2006 after he was poisoned with polonium-210 while drinking tea at a meeting in London
And at the time of his death he was about to reveal details of links between the Kremlin and Russian organised crime, a pre-inquest hearing was told.
The former KGB man, 43, was poisoned with polonium-210 after allegedly drinking tea at a meeting with former Russian colleagues Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair, central London.
Files submitted by the Government were yesterday said to indicate Russia had a “prima facie” case to answer over his 2006 death.
Lugovoi and Kovtun have been identified by police as prime suspects but Russia has refused to extradite them.
Both deny involvement.
Hugh Davies, counsel to the inquest, said evidence ruled out any involvement in the murder by Britain, the Chechens or the Spanish mafia.
But Ben Emmerson, QC, for Mr Litvinenko’s widow Marina, said the inquest should examine Britain’s “possible culpability” in failing to protect him.
He said Mr Litvinenko was paid by both British and Spanish intelligence.
He had met his MI6 handler – a man called Martin – in Central London days before his death.
Mr Emmerson told the hearing in Camden, North London, that the spy planned to travel to Spain with Lugovoi to reveal possible links between the Russian mafia, the Kremlin and President Putin.
He also cited a Wikileaks cable which quoted evidence from Mr Litvinenko that Russia’s intelligence and security services effectively controlled the nation’s mafia.
Neil Garnham QC, representing the Home Office, told the hearing he could "neither confirm nor deny" whether Mr Litvinenko was employed by British intelligence services.
The inquest next year will be held before High Court judge Sir Robert Owen, who has been appointed assistant deputy coroner.
After the hearing Mrs Litvinenko said she was pleased the alleged involvement of the Russian government in her husband's murder would now be considered by the inquest.
"We've been saying this many times but this is the first time this question has been raised in court," she said.
"I appreciate all that was done today and I'm looking forward to any decision which will be taken by the coroner after today's hearing."
The full inquest begins on May 1.
What is the situation in this country?
Litvinenko wasn’t a spy. He was a low-ranking part of domestic KGB branch and his duty was to push fight ethnic gangs in Moscow metro area. He actually used his position in using muslim gangs to bully businesses competing with his buddy and future boss Berezovski - a notorious robber baron Rasputin of the 1990s who had strong ties with Soros.
My understanding is that polonium is so hot that the salad bowl he used was easily found with radiation detectors weeks later, even after being washed in the restaurant’s kitchen dishwasher many times. It was so radioactive from the brief sprinkling of polonium, that it contaminated other dishes that were stored next to it for any time.
P-210 is nasty stuff. Its half life is about 6 months. It would linger for a few years at least.
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