The Litvinenko Inquiry

The Litvinenko Inquiry
Chapter 3: Where did Alexander Litvinenko
ingest polonium 210 on
1 November 2006?
8.19 I am sure that Mr Litvinenko ingested the fatal dose of polonium 210 whilst drinking
tea in the Pine Bar of the Millennium Hotel during the afternoon of 1 November 2006.
8.20 I have relied upon the following evidence in making this finding.
8.21 It is absolutely clear that Mr Litvinenko went to the Pine Bar on the afternoon of
1 November. Apart from his evidence to that effect, Mr Lugovoy and Mr Kovtun have
confirmed that they met him there then, and there is also Closed Circuit Television
(CCTV) footage which supports this.
8.22 It is equally clear that Mr Lugovoy and Mr Kovtun had ordered tea that afternoon, and
that there was a teapot on the table when Mr Litvinenko arrived. 1
8.23 Mr Litvinenko said that he drank some of this tea, and I accept that he did so.
8.24 Mr Lugovoy and Mr Kovtun have given inconsistent accounts about what happened in
the Pine Bar and on other matters (see paragraphs 8.82 – 8.91 below). But the theme
of their accounts on this issue has been more that they did not offer or pour any tea
for Mr Litvinenko, rather than that he did not drink any tea at all. 2
8.25 The forensic evidence shows that the Pine Bar was heavily contaminated with
polonium 210. The contamination was focused on the table where Mr Litvinenko sat
with Mr Lugovoy and Mr Kovtun on 1 November 2006. The highest readings, which
were consistent with primary contamination, were taken on the table itself and on the
inside of one of the teapots used in the Pine Bar. A1’s evidence was that the readings
on the inside of the teapot demonstrated that, “at some stage polonium… has been
poured out of the spout”. She said she was sure of this (see paragraph 6.322).
8.26 It is equally important to note that radiation tests were conducted at all the other
places where Mr Litvinenko went that day. Although some secondary contamination
was found at some of these locations (I shall return to these results in due course),
the Pine Bar was the only location of those visited by Mr Litvinenko on 1 November
where primary contamination was found. More than that, of course, it was found on
the table in the Pine Bar where Mr Litvinenko had sat whilst drinking tea, and on the
inside of one of the teapots used in the Pine Bar.
8.27 This evidence all points to the conclusion that Mr Litvinenko ingested the fatal dose
of polonium 210 whilst drinking tea in the Pine Bar of the Millennium Hotel during the
afternoon of 1 November 2006, and I make a finding to that effect.
1
Andrade 16/111-141; INQ015344
2
Mascall 16/161-170
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