The Litvinenko Inquiry

The Litvinenko Inquiry
Mr Litvinenko never met Mr Guzzanti, although they did once speak briefly on the
phone 79
g. Mr Scaramella arranged for Mr Litvinenko’s expenses to be paid, but Mr Litvinenko
did not receive any further remuneration for his assistance 80
h. Mr Litvinenko introduced Mr Scaramella to Mr Limarev. Mr Litvinenko told
Mr Scaramella that Mr Limarev knew more than he did about Russian organised
crime. This introduction appears to have taken place in January 2004. Thereafter
Mr Limarev became a further source of information for Mr Scaramella. The two
corresponded regularly by email 81
i. The Mitrokhin Commission was wound up in April 2006. Mr Scaramella and
Mr Litvinenko ended their regular contact at that time 82
4.84 It is apparent from the evidence that I have heard and seen that Mr Litvinenko
provided Mr Scaramella with a very large volume of information. There is a transcript
of Mr Litvinenko’s first meeting with Mr Scaramella, which runs to well over 100 pages
and covers a wide range of topics. 83
4.85 The information that Mr Litvinenko gave to Mr Scaramella included some on what
might be thought to have been particularly sensitive topics. I will give two examples.
4.86 First, Mr Litvinenko made various claims to Mr Scaramella about a man called Semion
Mogilevich. The written closing submissions served on behalf of Marina Litvinenko
describe Mr Mogilevich as: “one of Russia’s most notorious [Organised Crime Group]
leaders. … It is said he is responsible for contract killings and smuggling weapons.” 84
Mr Mogilevich was, at least at one stage, one of the FBI’s most wanted men. 85
I have seen the text of a speech given by the US Attorney General in 2008 in which
Mr Mogilevich is said to have, “exert[ed] influence over large portions of the natural
gas industry in parts of what used to be the Soviet Union.” 86
4.87 Mr Litvinenko passed on to Mr Scaramella information about Mr Mogilevich that he
said had emerged from the transcription of the Kuchma tapes. Mr Litvinenko told
Mr Scaramella that Mr Mogilevich (whom he described as a “well known criminalterrorist”
) was. “in a good relationship with Russian President Putin and most senior
officials of the Russian Federation” ; that Mr Mogilevich and President Putin had,
“a common cause, in my understanding a criminal cause” ; that Mr Mogilevich was
an arms dealer who was selling weapons to Al-Qaeda; and that he knew: “beyond
doubt that Mogilevich is FSB’s long-standing agent and all his actions including the
contacts with Al-Qaeda are controlled by FSB … For this very reason the FSB is
hiding Mogilevich from FBI.” These allegations were contained in a written statement
that Mr Litvinenko sent by fax to the offices of the Mitrokhin Commission. 87
79
Guzzanti 29/22
80
Scaramella 27/72-73; Guzzanti 29/23
81
Scaramella 15/94-95
82
Scaramella 15/100-101
83
INQ019473; Scaramella 27/60-73
84
Marina Litvinenko written closing submissions, page 46 paragraph 142
85
Mascall 29/84
86
BLK000241 (page 4)
87
INQ018922 (page 3); Scaramella 27/73-79
70