#13 - JRL 2007-184 - JRL Home
Lugovoi says Berezovsky behind Litvinenko murder
MOSCOW, August 29 (RIA Novosti) - Andrei Lugovoi, the U.K.'s key suspect in
the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, said Wednesday that businessman Boris
Berevovsky was involved in the crime, as well as in the murder of Russian
investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
"It was a thoroughly planned provocation. I believe there was to have been
the chain 'Politkovkskaya - Litvinenko - Tregubova [journalist Yelena Tregubova],"
Lugovoi told a news conference.
He said Berezovsky had met with him shortly before Litvinenko's death and
that he was preparing an alibi for himself. Lugovoi did not provide any specific
evidence against Berezovsky.
Lugovoi said earlier Wednesday that the Crown Prosecution Service has no
evidence to prove his guilt.
"There is no evidence, there is no proof. Everything that the Crown
Prosecution Service says is a lie, inspired by the British top leadership
together with the special services," Lugovoi told a news conference.
He also said he had not traveled to Britain for questioning because the
country's authorities never invited him.
"I am not going and will not go to Britain, because nobody invited me there,"
he said.
Former state security officer Lugovoi, who repeatedly denied all charges
against him, said that last year on November 20, just three days before the
death of Litvinenko, he and his business partner Dmitry Kovtun visited the
British Embassy in Moscow, where they left their full contact details.
"Acting sensibly, I together with Kovtun wrote a statement and left all
contacts, telephone numbers and addresses," Lugovoi said, adding that he also
proposed a meeting with Scotland Yard experts, but that they never contacted him.
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