The Litvinenko Inquiry
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JIEp7Zyr
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Litvinenko</strong> <strong>Inquiry</strong><br />
Chapter 5: Work for the Spanish security<br />
services<br />
4.92 I have made reference at paragraph 4.69 above to the assertion made by Mr Lugovoy<br />
to the effect that Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong> told him that he was working with the Spanish secret<br />
services against the Russian mafia operating in Spain, and moreover that Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong><br />
suggested to Mr Lugovoy that he join him in this work.<br />
4.93 This account was corroborated by evidence that I heard from Marina <strong>Litvinenko</strong> and<br />
others during the oral hearings.<br />
4.94 Marina <strong>Litvinenko</strong> said that she believed Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong>’s work with the Spanish<br />
authorities had started in 2005 or at the end of 2004. She had been aware that he was<br />
making trips to Spain for that purpose, and also that at least one payment in respect<br />
of this work had been made into their joint account. She knew, too, that Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong><br />
was helping the Spanish authorities in combating Russian organised crime in Spain.<br />
She also knew that Mr Lugovoy had become involved in this exercise, because<br />
she knew that he had been due to accompany Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong> on a trip to Spain on<br />
10 November 2006. But Mrs <strong>Litvinenko</strong> was not aware of the detail of the work that<br />
Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong> was doing in Spain – she said that, “Sasha didn’t tell me a lot because<br />
he tried to save me.” 91<br />
4.95 It would appear from a witness statement that Mr Berezovsky gave to the Metropolitan<br />
Police Service in December 2006 that Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong> had shared at least some of<br />
these details with Mr Berezovsky. <strong>The</strong> statement included the following passage:<br />
“I know that he [i.e. Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong>] also collected some money from cooperation<br />
with the Spanish intelligence service. He was helping them regarding the Russian<br />
mafia. I understand his wife also received some money.<br />
Twice in September 2006, he told me that he had helped the Spanish intelligence<br />
agency to arrest a top Russian mafia boss operating in Spain called Shakuro.<br />
He also told me that he was working on some intelligence relating to Roman<br />
Abramovich. This was likely to see him arrested in Spain for money laundering<br />
and buying land illegally. This also involves Putin.” 92<br />
4.96 Mr Goldfarb gave evidence that he had had two conversations with Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong><br />
about the work that the latter said that he was undertaking with the Spanish security<br />
services. First, Mr Goldfarb said that in 2005 Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong> had suggested that<br />
Mr Trepashkin, who had briefly been released from prison, might leave Russia and<br />
go to live in Spain, where he would be able to arrange work for him with the Spanish<br />
authorities. 93 <strong>The</strong> second conversation that Mr Goldfarb recalled took place in 2006.<br />
<strong>The</strong> notable feature of that conversation was that Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong> told Mr Goldfarb that<br />
one day he would give evidence in court about Mr Putin’s links to the mafia. 94<br />
4.97 <strong>The</strong> evidence that Mr <strong>Litvinenko</strong> may have been assisting the Spanish authorities<br />
with operations against Russian organised crime figures in Spain, and in particular<br />
Mr Goldfarb’s recollection that he was anticipating giving evidence in court about<br />
91<br />
Marina <strong>Litvinenko</strong> 3/155-157; 4/120<br />
92<br />
Berezovsky 25/13<br />
93<br />
Goldfarb 5/129; 26/58-59<br />
94<br />
Goldfarb 26/59-60<br />
72