Litvinenko ‘was a good friend’ of man suspected of killing him
POISONED spy Alexander Litvinenko described his suspected murderer as a “good friend” before introducing him to a man who the Russians believed was his “MI6 handler”, an inquiry has heard.
Mr Litvinenko worked for Dean Attew, carrying out due diligence reports for his business, Titon, an international subsidiary of se c ur it y company Erinys.
Giving evidence at an inquiry into the Russian dissident’s death, Mr Attew explained that he first met Mr Litvinenko in 2004, but that he was not given any work until two years later.
Mr Litvinenko died on November 23, 2006, nearly three weeks after he drank tea laced with a radioactive substance in the company of two Russian contacts in a Mayfair hotel bar.
Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun are wanted for the 44-year-old’s murder but remain in Russia, where they deny any involvement in his death. They are believed to have been some of his Russian contacts for his work for British intelligence agencies and other private investigation firms in the UK.
The inquiry heard the first report Mr Attew asked Mr Litvinenko to prepare was on former KGB officer and current director of the Federal Narcotics Service of Russia, Viktor Ivanov.
Mr Attew revealed that a second report had to be prepared, after the initial one, for which Andrei Lugovoi was the source, was inadequate and amounted to only one third of a page.
The second report was “exceptional”, said Mr Attew, and contained details about Ivanov’s career, personal life and criminal activity.
Before Mr Attew knew Lugovoi had prepared the first report, Mr Litvinenko introduced the two of them, the inquiry heard.
He had described Lugovoi as a “good friend” who could be helpful to the business.
But Mr Attew conceded that he took an immediate dislike to the former Russian intelligence agent and did not want him in the London offices.
Mr Attew, who said the Russians thought that he was Litvinenko’s handler for MI6, described Lugovoi as being “scary” and “cold”, though he added that Mr Litvinenko made no mention of Lugovoi from his hospital bed in 2006.
The hearing continues.