Vladimir Putin responsible for Alexander Litvinenko’s murder, inquiry hears

Mr Horwell said the Met had previously “remained silent” during the inquiry as it did not want to be seen to be having “any influence” over the evidence called. On his deathbed, he blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin – a claim Moscow denies.

Earlier, he said the use of the rare polonium, 97 percent of the world’s supply of which was produced at a Russian nuclear site, might have put Londoners’ lives at risk.

The counsel for Marina Litvinenko is due to make his closing statements to the inquiry into her husband Alexander’s death.

“The aim of this trial is not to find out the truth but to continue hanging labels on Russian Federation”, he said. Both Kovtun and Lugovoi deny any involvement in Litvinenko’s death. “So we’ve heard it already”, said Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin.

He laid out the various reasons why Russian Federation was clearly involved in the murder.

Addressing inquiry chairman Sir Robert Owen, he went on: “The murder of Litvinenko was intended to solve the problem that he had become but in reality it’s created a much greater one and one which this inquiry has ensured will not go away”.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Kovtun could not give evidence to a British court in the current legal proceedings via a video link because “such questioning would contradict the current worldwide treaties between Russia and the UK in the sphere of legal assistance and police cooperation, and also the Russian legislation on criminal procedure”. The judge said he had the “gravest suspicion that an attempt is being made to manipulate the situation”.

The lawyer alleged that, after putting polonium into a pot of tea to poison Litvinenko, Kovtun had poured the dregs down the sink.

Radioactive contamination was detected in the airplanes, cars, hotels and nightclubs the accused visited, according to the police investigation.

The inquiry has been told traces of polonium were found across London where the two men had been, including offices, hotels, planes and even the soccer stadium of Arsenal.

“On the evidence, there can be no doubt that Litvinenko was unlawfully killed and the science is such that the finger points unwaveringly to Lugovoi and Kovtun”, he said. Horwell commented that Russian Federation had “reasons aplenty for wishing Litvinenko not only harm but death”.

Marina Litvinenko, left, the widow of former Russian intelligence… “He personally ordered the liquidation of an enemy who was bent on exposing him and his cronies”.

At the end of the six-month inquiry, Marina Litvinenko said “any reasonable person” would conclude from the evidence “that my husband was killed by agents of the Russian state… and this could not have happened without the knowledge and consent of Mr. Putin”.

Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed.