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| Litvinenko friend breaks silence | Litvinenko friend breaks silence |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A close friend of murdered ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko has broken his silence in a BBC interview. | A close friend of murdered ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko has broken his silence in a BBC interview. |
| Boris Berezovsky told Newsnight that, on his deathbed, Mr Litvinenko, 43, had said former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi was responsible for his poisoning. | Boris Berezovsky told Newsnight that, on his deathbed, Mr Litvinenko, 43, had said former KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi was responsible for his poisoning. |
| Mr Berezovsky said Mr Litvinenko, whose body contained radioactive polonium-210, had told him: "I think Lugovoi is involved in my poison." | Mr Berezovsky said Mr Litvinenko, whose body contained radioactive polonium-210, had told him: "I think Lugovoi is involved in my poison." |
| Last week, police sources said Mr Lugovoi was the "most likely poisoner". | Last week, police sources said Mr Lugovoi was the "most likely poisoner". |
| On Sunday, Russian detectives investigating Mr Litvinenko's death asked the Home Office for permission to come to the UK to question Russian exiles in London including Mr Berezovsky. | |
| The Metropolitan Police has said a decision on the request would be made in due course. | |
| Polonium-210 | |
| Mr Berezovsky who, like Mr Litvinenko, is a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said he would be happy to talk to British and Russian authorities. | |
| I am absolutely open to meet people from Russia if it helps to investigate Alexander's case Boris Berezovsky | |
| "Scotland Yard must question me about my knowledge of Alexander," he said. | |
| "But Scotland Yard has never asked me to answer to the Russian prosecutor office. | |
| "And moreover, me personally, I initiated this idea for Scotland Yard people and told them I am absolutely open to meet people from Russia if it helps to investigate Alexander's case." | |
| Mr Litvinenko, 43, died in London in November after being poisoned with polonium-210. | |
| His friends have accused the Kremlin of ordering his assassination in response to his criticism of President Putin, but the Russian government has rejected such claims. | |
| Police sources have told the BBC that the "most likely poisoner" was Mr Lugovoi, who met Mr Litvinenko in London on the day he fell ill. | |
| Mr Lugovoi said he had been a victim of radiation poisoning himself. | |
| Last week, Scotland Yard handed a file on its investigation to the Crown Prosecution Service. |