Politics continue to swirl around the death of Alexander Litvinenko. A suspect has been identified, a man by the name of Andrei Lugovoi, against whom Scotland Yard believes have enough evidence to start a process.
On his return to Moscow, Mr Lugovoi called a televised press conference to protest his innocence, and pointed out that traces of polonium-210 had been found on his wife and children. “To think that I would handle the stuff and put them at risk is ludicrous,” he said. “Someone is trying to set me up. But I can’t understand who. Or why.”
Associates of the dead man have repeatedly accused President Vladimir Putin’s government of being behind his murder, a claim the Kremlin rejects. While it is known that detectives believe they have uncovered evidence pointing to Mr Lugovoi’s involvement, it is not clear whether they have established a motive for the murder.
Let’s be cynic: The argument that he wouldn’t endanger his wife and children is irrelevant - regardless what TV has convinced people of, the vast majority of murderers are not cautious masterminds. Motive could simply be money, a hired assassin needs not hat his victim.
But let’s take it even further: cuo bono? Who would benefit from this man - or pretty much any other Russian - being accused with murdering Litvinenko? Specially since most countries can’t legally extradite their own citizens.
Any attempt to extradite Mr Lugovoi could founder on the Russian constitution, which offers citizens protection against enforced removal from the country. However, senior British government officials have told the Guardian that officials in Moscow have already indicated their willingness to strike a deal which would see the suspect being handed over in return for Mr Berezovsky’s extradition. Mr Berezovsky amassed his estimated £800m fortune during Russia’s rush to privatisation in the 1990s, and fled to the UK after falling out with President Putin six years ago. Mr Litvinenko followed him, claiming that he had been instructed to murder Mr Berezovsky.
The oligarch has already fought off one extradition attempt, after Moscow accused him of large-scale fraud. After that charge was dropped, the Kremlin accused him of plotting to overthrow the government by force.
He cannot be forced to return to Russia, however, as the UK courts have ruled that the charges against him are politically-motivated and that he could not expect to receive a fair trial.
Well, look at that. Suddenly a Russian suspect is not a liability, but a bargaining chip you can use to not only curry diplomatic favor, but get yourself a political enemy in the process. If Lugovoi gets extradited, it’ll be as strong a confirmation as I need of his innocence: I wouldn’t put a killer I hired in the hands of a country that has reason already to be suspicious of me; and an innocent man would be a perfect patsy. If he’s cleared, good for him; if he isn’t, he can’t harm you.
But I’m a cynic and a bit of a pessimist. To me, in politics the glass is not only half-empty, but the water you did get was laced with radioactive poison.
Here’s the full news item at The Guardian.