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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
|---|---|
| UK 'behind Litvinenko poisoning' | UK 'behind Litvinenko poisoning' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The man suspected of poisoning ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko has said it could not have happened without the involvement of British secret services. | The man suspected of poisoning ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko has said it could not have happened without the involvement of British secret services. |
| Andrei Lugovoi, who denies the allegations, told a Moscow news conference that he was a scapegoat. | Andrei Lugovoi, who denies the allegations, told a Moscow news conference that he was a scapegoat. |
| Mr Lugovoi said MI6 had recruited Mr Litvinenko and had also tried to recruit him, to collect information on Russian President Vladimir Putin. | Mr Lugovoi said MI6 had recruited Mr Litvinenko and had also tried to recruit him, to collect information on Russian President Vladimir Putin. |
| The UK said the matter was a criminal rather than an intelligence matter. | The UK said the matter was a criminal rather than an intelligence matter. |
| "A British citizen was killed in London and UK citizens and visitors were put at risk," a Foreign Office spokesman said. | "A British citizen was killed in London and UK citizens and visitors were put at risk," a Foreign Office spokesman said. |
| KEY EVENTS IN CASE 1 November 2006: Alexander Litvinenko meets Andrei Lugovoi and another Russian at a London hotel 23 November 2006: Litvinenko dies in a London hospital24 November 2006: A Litvinenko statement accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of involvement in his death. Experts say Litvinenko was poisoned 6 December 2006: UK police say they are treating the death as murder 22 May 2007: Lugovoi should be charged with Litvinenko's murder, British prosecutors say 28 May 2007: UK makes formal request for Lugovoi's extradition from Russia Full timeline of events | KEY EVENTS IN CASE 1 November 2006: Alexander Litvinenko meets Andrei Lugovoi and another Russian at a London hotel 23 November 2006: Litvinenko dies in a London hospital24 November 2006: A Litvinenko statement accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of involvement in his death. Experts say Litvinenko was poisoned 6 December 2006: UK police say they are treating the death as murder 22 May 2007: Lugovoi should be charged with Litvinenko's murder, British prosecutors say 28 May 2007: UK makes formal request for Lugovoi's extradition from Russia Full timeline of events |
| The UK has requested Mr Lugovoi's extradition in connection with the crime. But the Russian constitution forbids it from extraditing its own citizens. | |
| Mr Litvinenko died in November 2006 after exposure to the radioactive isotope polonium-210. | Mr Litvinenko died in November 2006 after exposure to the radioactive isotope polonium-210. |
| Polonium-210 was found in a string of places that Mr Lugovoi visited in London, but he said he was a witness, not a suspect in the case. | Polonium-210 was found in a string of places that Mr Lugovoi visited in London, but he said he was a witness, not a suspect in the case. |
| A former KGB officer and British agent, Oleg Gordievsky, described Mr Lugovoi's claims as "silly fantasies". He denied Mr Litvinenko had been working for the British secret services. | A former KGB officer and British agent, Oleg Gordievsky, described Mr Lugovoi's claims as "silly fantasies". He denied Mr Litvinenko had been working for the British secret services. |
| "He used to be... a member of the FSB, it is a domestic organisation of the KGB, and MI6 is not interested in information about the domestic service, so Litvinenko was not needed," he told BBC News. | "He used to be... a member of the FSB, it is a domestic organisation of the KGB, and MI6 is not interested in information about the domestic service, so Litvinenko was not needed," he told BBC News. |
| Berezovsky 'link' | |
| Mr Lugovoi, himself an ex-KGB agent, said the poisoning could not have happened without some involvement from the British intelligence services. | Mr Lugovoi, himself an ex-KGB agent, said the poisoning could not have happened without some involvement from the British intelligence services. |
| "Even if [British special services] hadn't done it itself, it was done under its control or connivance," he said. | "Even if [British special services] hadn't done it itself, it was done under its control or connivance," he said. |
| Asked if he had evidence of this, Mr Lugovoi said he did, without giving further details. | Asked if he had evidence of this, Mr Lugovoi said he did, without giving further details. |
| Sasha [Litvinenko] was not my enemy Andrei Lugovoi | Sasha [Litvinenko] was not my enemy Andrei Lugovoi |
| Mr Lugovoi said that either British foreign intelligence agency MI6, the Russian mafia, or fugitive Kremlin opponent Boris Berezovsky were behind the killing. | Mr Lugovoi said that either British foreign intelligence agency MI6, the Russian mafia, or fugitive Kremlin opponent Boris Berezovsky were behind the killing. |
| Mr Lugovoi said that, like Mr Litvinenko, Mr Berezovsky was working for the British secret services, but that the two men had a falling out and that MI6 could no longer control Mr Litvinenko. | Mr Lugovoi said that, like Mr Litvinenko, Mr Berezovsky was working for the British secret services, but that the two men had a falling out and that MI6 could no longer control Mr Litvinenko. |
| Mr Berezovsky, who has been granted asylum in Britain, has denied any involvement in Mr Litvinenko's death. | Mr Berezovsky, who has been granted asylum in Britain, has denied any involvement in Mr Litvinenko's death. |
| On Thursday, Mr Berezovsky said that it was now "clearer than ever" that the Kremlin was behind the murder. | |
| "Everything about Mr Lugovoi's words and presentation made it obvious that he is acting on Kremlin instruction. If Mr Lugovoi would like to prove his innocence, I suggest again that he travel to London and face trial in the UK courts," he said in a statement. | |
| 'No motive' | 'No motive' |
| Mr Lugovoi said he was "openly recruited as the British security service agent. They asked me to collect any... compromising information about President Putin and the members of his family". | Mr Lugovoi said he was "openly recruited as the British security service agent. They asked me to collect any... compromising information about President Putin and the members of his family". |
| He said he was initially asked to find economic information, but he said the large fees he was paid made him realise he was being recruited to do more than that. | He said he was initially asked to find economic information, but he said the large fees he was paid made him realise he was being recruited to do more than that. |
| He went on to say that he lacked the motive to kill Mr Litvinenko. | He went on to say that he lacked the motive to kill Mr Litvinenko. |
| "Sasha [Litvinenko] was not my enemy. I didn't feel cold or hot from whatever he was doing, from the books that he was writing. I've been in business for a long time and I was not really interested," he said. | "Sasha [Litvinenko] was not my enemy. I didn't feel cold or hot from whatever he was doing, from the books that he was writing. I've been in business for a long time and I was not really interested," he said. |
| Mr Lugovoi also spoke about Russians who managed to get British passports by working for special services. The British public, he said, should know what certain Russians were doing in London. | Mr Lugovoi also spoke about Russians who managed to get British passports by working for special services. The British public, he said, should know what certain Russians were doing in London. |