The Litvinenko Inquiry

The Litvinenko Inquiry
from a sofa on which Mr Lugovoy had sat. It has been suggested that Mr Berezovsky
was involved with Mr Litvinenko’s alleged dealings in polonium 210. The contamination
evidence does not support that theory.
8.50 The third point relates to the route by which the polonium 210 entered Mr Litvinenko’s
body. As I have explained above, the scientists were agreed that most, if not all, of
the polonium 210 was ingested by Mr Litvinenko, probably in the form of a soluble
compound. In lay terms, Mr Litvinenko drank the polonium 210 dissolved in a liquid.
Simply as a matter of common sense, it seems unlikely to me that Mr Litvinenko could
have accidentally drunk a liquid containing polonium 210. Inhaling the substance by
accident would have been more plausible, but this was ruled out as a route of entry
for all but perhaps 5% of the fatal dose.
8.51 The fourth point concerns Mr Litvinenko’s conduct during the three week period of
his illness prior to his death. It is to be remembered that Mr Litvinenko’s doctors
were uncertain as to the cause of his painful and debilitating symptoms until only a
few hours before his death. If Mr Litvinenko had poisoned himself accidentally whilst
handling a leaky container of polonium 210, he would have had a good idea of the
cause of his illness. Had that been the case, it is inconceivable, in my view, that
Mr Litvinenko would not have said something about this either to the police or to one
of his doctors, if only to improve the chances of his life being saved.
8.52 Finally, the ‘leaky container’ theory is of course at odds with the findings that I have
already made as to the place and circumstances in which Mr Litvinenko received the
fatal dose. As I have found, Mr Litvinenko was poisoned by drinking contaminated tea
from a teapot in the Pine Bar of the Millennium Hotel. The hypothetical ‘leaky package’
must remain just that. There is no evidence to support it, and, for the reasons that
I have set out, the entire hypothesis is inconsistent with the facts that have been
established from the evidence.
Suicide
8.53 I can deal with this point more shortly.
8.54 On the findings that I have already made, this theory must involve Mr Litvinenko
deliberately contaminating the tea in the teapot at the Pine Bar with polonium 210,
and then pouring and drinking it.
8.55 As I have said above, there is no evidence that Mr Litvinenko had access to polonium
210 prior to his death.
8.56 More importantly, there is no evidence at all that Mr Litvinenko was feeling at all
suicidal at the time in question. I heard evidence from his wife and from a number of
his close friends, none of whom thought it was remotely plausible that Mr Litvinenko
might have taken his own life. I have summarised their evidence on this issue at
Part 5, chapter 8. Mr Litvinenko was deeply committed to his wife and son. He was
not at all depressed.
8.57 I would only add that Mr Litvinenko survived for three weeks after ingesting the fatal
dose of polonium 210. If he really had poisoned himself in order to end his life, he
would surely have said something to his wife, or the police, or one of his friends about
what he had done.
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