The Litvinenko Inquiry

The Litvinenko Inquiry
Mr Litvinenko referred to having purchased a new SIM card for Mr Lugovoy and giving
it to him at what he described as their “penultimate meeting” – i.e. their last meeting
before the Pine Bar. 165 There is evidence that Mr Litvinenko purchased two SIM cards
at about 5.00pm on 27 October 2006. 166 All this evidence tends to indicate that, as
with the previous day, it was Mr Litvinenko who drank tea with Mr Lugovoy on 27
October 2006. DI Mascall stated that the teapots used in the bar at the Sheraton –
which was named the Palm Court – were of a silver metal design. 167
Contamination at the Sheraton Hotel
6.178 As I mentioned above, Mr Lugovoy occupied room 848 at the Sheraton for the nights
of 25, 26 and 27 October 2006.
6.179 DI Mascall gave evidence about the radioactive contamination found in the hotel. 168 He
said that the readings taken there were the highest found in the entire investigation.
A1 gave her expert opinion as to the interpretation of these results. 169
6.180 Secondary contamination was found throughout room 848. As with the Best Western
Hotel, the bathroom was a focus of higher readings. In contrast to the Best Western,
however, the readings taken in the bathroom sink and in the disposal pipe from the
sink were not especially high. Rather, the highest readings in room 848 were found
in the bathroom bin, in particular on one area of the base of the plastic inner casing
of the bin. A1 was very confident that these readings were evidence of primary
contamination.
6.181 The other notable feature of the pattern of contamination at the Sheraton Hotel was
the contamination found in the hotel laundry. Two towels found in the laundry also
gave such high radiation readings that A1 considered them to be consistent with
primary contamination. DI Mascall explained that, although the towels were not found
until January 2007, it had not been possible to ascertain whether or not they had in
fact been laundered since October 2006.
6.182 Given the readings to which I have referred, it seems likely that the two contaminated
towels in the laundry emanated from room 848. The findings of primary contamination
found there indicate that polonium was handled in that room. In their closing
submissions, Mr Horwell QC and Mr Emmerson QC suggested that the pattern of
contamination was consistent with an accidental spillage, perhaps followed by an
attempt to clean up and/or dispose of the solution.
Return to Moscow
6.183 Mr Lugovoy rose early on the morning of Saturday 28 October 2006. Hotel records at
the Sheraton indicate that he checked out at 5.30am. He travelled to Heathrow and
caught BA flight 872 to Moscow, which took off that morning at 9.10am.
6.184 The aircraft making the flight that morning was G-BNWX, the same plane on which he
had flown to Heathrow from Moscow three days earlier. 170
165
INQ016570 (pages 5-7)
166
Mascall 12/81-83
167
Mascall 12/69
168
Mascall 12/105-117
169
A1 20/49-57
170
Mascall 12/91-92
146