Theories Abound in Poison Plot

Three days after the death of Alexander Litvinenko, there are no known suspects and police refuse to describe their investigation as a murder hunt. But a bewildering array of theories has been thrown up about who may have had a hand in his poisoning.

According to the News of the World, the "hitman at the centre" of the murder might be"Igor The Poisoner", a Russian judo master who speaks perfect English. But close analysis shows the newspaper does not implicate "Igor" as the killer. He is actually the same man identified by the Guardian on Saturday, described in an email as the organiser of a possible plot against Litvinenko's Italian contact. The man - Agent Y - is described in the email as being a member of Spetnaz, the Russian special forces, and "the perfect coordinator of any kind of 'special operation'".

The Mail on Sunday chose to concentrate its attention on Mario Scaramella, the Italian professor who met Litvinenko at the sushi bar. Although Prof Scaramella was on the hitlist himself, and offered to speak to police, the paper spoke of his expertise in nuclear materials.

The Sunday Times introduced a new character: a possible ex-employee of the Russian embassy. It said Litvinenko named the agent in charge of monitoring him as "Viktor Kirov" and also mentioned an Anatoly V Kirov who recently worked at the embassy. The Russian foreign ministry denied any involvement.

The Independent on Sunday considers a theory still not discounted by police: that Litvinenko might have orchestrated his death to harm Vladimir Putin.

FAQ

Lines of inquiry


What will the police do next?

It is likely that anti-terrorist officers will fly to Moscow to interview the two men who met Mr Litvinenko at the Millennium hotel, Andrei Lugovoi and Dimitri Kovtoun. They are also likely to visit Italy to speak to Mario Scaramella, who met Mr Litvinenko in the sushi bar and handed over a document which purports to identify both himself and Mr Litvinenko as targets on an FSB hitlist.

When will a postmortem take place?

Investigators have not set a date because of fears of radiation contamination. Police are taking advice from the Health Protection Agency and nuclear experts.

Will there be an inquest?

It is unlikely a full inquest will be held while the police inquiry is taking place. If anyone is tried, an inquest will be deemed unnecessary once the details of the death have been examined in a criminal court. Mr Litvinenko's family could, however, press for an inquest even if criminal charges were brought.

What are the main lines of inquiry?

The security services will focus on where the polonium 210 came from. If it was made in a nuclear facility, it will contain traces of other radioactive isotopes that could identify the facility.

Sandra Laville and Ian Sample