Litvinenko (2022): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript
I wish to make a toast.
But...
..er, it is important
I do this in English.
..er, it is important
I do this in English.
Because today...
..after six years of waiting,
we receive letter
from UK government.
Now, we call ourselves...
British family.
British family!
British family!
Anatoli, bed in five minutes!
Mum, come on!
The game is almost finished.
Uh-uh.
Oh...!
Marina!
Sasha?
Yes, sir, I think there was a fair
bit of back and forth about this.
Yes, sir, of course.
Yes, I did try, sir.
But as you can imagine...
Yes, sir.
Sorry, mate. 20 minutes, tops.
Absolutely. Yes, sir.
Absolutely. Yes, sir.
Yes, I did see that.
The boss has got the hump.
We have got better things
to be doing, apparently.
I mean, why's this not
a Counter Terrorism job?
That's what I'm asking.
Counter Terrorism don't want it
because they don't deal
with homicides.
Homicide don't want it...
Because nobody's actually dead.
Because nobody's actually dead,
yeah.
But the real reason
nobody wants it...
..is because they all think
the man's lost his marbles.
..is because they all think
the man's lost his marbles.
Do we think that?
Well, I can't speak for you, Jim.
But I'd say, let's meet the guy
first, judge for ourselves.
Ah, hi, there.
We're here to see a Mr Carter.
Mr Edwin Carter.
It's, er, the one
who thinks he's been poisoned.
He's down the end.
Thanks.
Two minutes.
Yeah.
Mrs Carter?
Detective, this is...
..a big moment for us.
My husband, er, was worried
nobody was taking this seriously.
Well, we are here now, Mrs Carter.
He wants...
..the whole world to know
what has happened.
You understand?
Mm-hm.
Are you OK, Mrs Carter?
My husband is...
..ill.
And this means I am also ill.
We're together in life.
And he'll talk to us right now?
Er...
The doctors...
I know they do not believe him.
I know they do not believe him.
But they do not understand.
OK.
Mr Carter...
I'm Detective Inspector Brent Hyatt
of the Specialist Crime Directorate.
This is Detective Sergeant
Jim Dawson.
Detective...
..I need to report a murder.
Whose murder?
Mine.
Mine.
Today, yes, I am alive, of course.
I can stand.
But tomorrow?
No.
Tomorrow... I will be tired.
In two days?
Hm... worse, very weak.
In three days.
Or maybe it takes four days.
How can you know that?
The number of days, I mean.
If you have been poisoned,
as you say,
If you have been poisoned,
as you say,
how can you be so specific?
I know how this happen.
I know when. I know why.
Detective...
I explain to you my story...
..before it is too late.
Well, if he is a nutter,
then he's the most level-headed
nutter that I've ever come across.
And I've met a few.
Yeah.
OK, look...
We take his statement. Hear him out.
There they are.
Who's in charge here, please?
Look, I'm gonna put this
as politely as I can.
You need to go.
The man we're speaking to...
The man you're speaking to
is seriously ill.
That's the beginning and end of it.
He's saying that he's been poisoned.
He's saying that he's been poisoned.
People say all sorts of things.
That doesn't mean
we don't take them seriously.
Oh, we've taken him very seriously.
We've tested him for several toxins,
including thallium,
which is what he's convinced
he's been poisoned with.
But we just can't stand it up.
And his hair loss?
Likely a reaction
to the antibiotics.
I'm going to take his statement.
It's midnight.
I appreciate that.
Good.
Then, for the sake
of the other patients,
if that's what you insist on doing,
at least wait till the morning.
if that's what you insist on doing,
at least wait till the morning.
You're sure that will be possible?
How do you mean, sorry?
Can you give me
your personal guarantee
that Mr Carter will be alive
in the morning
in order to give us his statement?
If you can, then, fine,
we'll come back first thing.
If not...
..with respect, we'll crack on.
Mrs Carter, I'm going to
have to ask you to leave the room.
The time is 00:08
on the 18th of November, 2006.
I am Detective Inspector
Brent Hyatt.
Also present are...
Detective Sergeant Jim Dawson.
And...
Edwin, erm, if you could just state
your name, please, for the tape.
My name...
Er, my name is not Edwin Carter.
This name I use for protection.
This name I use for protection.
Erm, so what is your name?
For this statement
to be worth anything,
we need to know
who we're speaking to.
My name is Alexander Litvinenko.
I am former FSB officer.
In Russia, I have...
..a senior job.
Er, Deputy Head of Section Seven.
Section Seven?
Top secret department.
Top secret department.
Er...
This job is simple job.
This job is to kill.
Your job was to kill?
Yes.
Who?
Enemies of Russian state.
Er...
They give me list.
Er, they give me names.
Ask me to organise.
That's why I am here today.
Because you killed people?
No, because I refuse.
Because you killed people?
No, because I refuse.
This job is not human.
This job is corruption job.
Corruption in the law, and...
..corruption, er...
..here, inside.
Er, when we arrive to London,
I write book about...
..Russia, about corruption.
And when I write this book...
..they're very angry with me.
..they're very angry with me.
They... They come find me.
They want kill me.
And because you wrote that book,
you became a target?
Yes, because I tell truth.
Because...
..I am troublemaker.
And you have...?
Do you have any idea
who may have made this order?
Yes, I know the man
who make order for this.
The man who says I must die...
..I know this person.
You have a name?
..I know this person.
You have a name?
This man was head of FSB.
Was?
Before, yes. Not any more.
What is his name, Edwin?
Let's, er...
Let's start with a name.
His name is Vladimir Putin.
Morning, Floppy
MAN: Morning, guv.
It is being billed as
the celebrity wedding of the year.
It is being billed as
the celebrity wedding of the year.
An A-list of stars
has gathered in Rome
for the wedding
of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.
The ceremony is expected
to take place today...
We have a Russian friend in London.
Alex Goldfarb.
He arrange for a photographer
to come to the hospital.
He says we need...
publicity... for Sasha.
Sasha?
Erm...
Alexander.
Alexander.
We say Sasha... for short.
You think it was mistake?
Professionally speaking,
I couldn't say.
Personally, if Sasha wants the
whole world to know what happened,
I'd say you'd be hard pushed
to come up with anything better.
Brent...
It's important now, Alexander,
that we draw up a list of people
you've had contact with in London.
Get an idea
of who might have done this.
Get an idea
of who might have done this.
Does that make sense?
When we come to London,
I make contact with other Russians.
What sort of Russians?
Er...
like me. Erm, enemies of state.
Alex Goldfarb.
Boris Berezovsky.
And a woman who visits here
from Chechnya.
Anna Politkovskaya.
She is also a target?
Yes.
Because she writes many articles
against Putin.
Because she writes many articles
against Putin.
Against war in Chechnya.
She is critic.
Er, she go home in October.
Er, she go back to Moscow.
She is murdered.
Killed?
Murdered. It is fact.
I say to all media,
my friend Anna
has been killed by Russian state.
By Vladimir Putin.
If I not explain this, nobody will.
And this was in October
of this year?
October 7th.
Putin's birthday.
Next, from nowhere,
I receive phone call from...
Italian man.
Intelligence expert
with connection to Russia.
Er, he says coming to London.
Er, he says coming to London.
He say he wants to see me,
wants to have lunch with me.
He calls you up, out the blue,
and says he wants to meet you
for lunch in London?
Do you have a name?
His name Mario Scaramella.
Did he say why he wanted to meet?
But you agreed to meet him?
Do you remember what date this was?
Yes, I remember. 1st of November.
Also very important day.
Why?
Because this is the day
I am poisoned.
Detective, Alex Goldfarb.
Long-time friend of Sasha's.
You brought in the photographer.
Er, please,
this is Professor John Henry.
He is one of the world's
top toxicologists.
Detective.
Detective.
He would like permission
to examine Sasha.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Erm, with respect,
it's not my permission to give.
Erm, that being said...
..if you do find a way
to examine him,
would you mind keeping me posted?
We're not exactly getting much joy
out of the doctors ourselves.
Come.
He's had two Homicide detectives
with him for the past 24 hours.
Now...
it's not our job, technically,
because we don't handle homicides.
But Homicide are saying
it's not theirs, either.
Because no-one's actually dead.
Because no-one's actually dead.
Well, it's a fair point.
Either way, Clive,
given how this is escalating,
given his background, given the
international nature of all of this,
given his background, given the
international nature of all of this,
we want it as a joint inquiry,
with Counter Terrorism
taking the lead.
And as the on-call SIO in London...
I'm the lucky man.
I'm not sure lucky's the word.
Well, it might be not for you, guv.
But in my job,
you can spend your entire career
waiting for something like this
to come along, and it never does.
So, I'll take it.
I meet Scaramella
at Piccadilly Circus.
I meet Scaramella
at Piccadilly Circus.
He's very worried man. He says,
"Let's go, let's go, let's go."
So we walk away. We go sushi place.
Itsu.
Intzoo?
Itsu.
Itsu, it's the name of it. Itsu.
OK.
But then he say,
"I am not hungry.
I already have food before."
Wait. He comes all the way
from Italy for lunch.
But when you meet him,
he's already eaten?
And the whole time
you were together,
you were the only one to eat?
Only me.
you were the only one to eat?
Only me.
Scaramella only drink. With lid.
He's very, er...
anxious.
Er...
He's, he's, he's...
He's very...
..hot.
Sorry, my English is not...
No, erm, there's no rush, Sasha.
Yeah.
You take your time.
We do not have time to take time.
We do not have time to take time.
That is problem, Detective.
Scaramella say
he has something to show me.
A white package.
He tries give contents of package
to me.
He tried to give you the contents
of a white package?
I say, "I not want these papers."
But he say, "No, take, take, take.
Put in your bag."
And did you?
What else can I do? I take packet.
I eat food. I go.
Scaramella is a little bit, er...
Er, he's mad man.
To be clear, Scaramella might have
been the person sent to poison you?
It is possible.
So...
So...
Er, one minute, please.
Mr Carter needs his medication.
Excuse me.
Detective, I ask Marina
to bring you copy of my book.
This is from me to you.
Thank you.
Well, there you go. Scaramella.
I don't mind calling that one in.
Brent Hyatt.
Professor?
The doctors got it wrong.
No, let me rephrase that.
Wrong, it's...
No, let me rephrase that.
Wrong, it's...
It's harsh.
But he has been poisoned?
Oh, I'm convinced.
Though not with thallium.
Sasha was wrong about that.
Having seen the data
the doctors gathered,
it's clear they scanned him
with a Geiger counter.
That would have picked up thallium,
and/or other heavy metals
common in poisoning,
had they been there.
But they weren't?
No.
What a Geiger Counter misses
are things called alpha emitters.
And, suddenly, that explained
everything, including the hair loss.
And, suddenly, that explained
everything, including the hair loss.
Sasha Litvinenko has been poisoned
in the middle of London,
in the middle of a working day,
with a radioactive substance.
Now, precisely which one,
it is hard to say.
How do we find out?
By getting a sample of Sasha's urine
down to the Atomic Weapons
Establishment in Aldermaston.
It's the only place in the country
that can run the analysis.
Get it down there first thing
tomorrow, get priority clearance,
then I'd say you would have feedback
within a day or two.
then I'd say you would have feedback
within a day or two.
A day or two
may be all poor Sasha has left.
Here. Turn right here a second.
Have you got it, too,
or is it just me?
The guilt.
The guy's giving us
the final days of his life.
The one person
who should be with him
is stuck in the corridor
on a plastic chair.
Well, there's only one way to stop
yourself feeling like that, Brent.
Catch the bastards.
Go straight through.
Right, congratulations!
What you're working on is
the first-ever murder investigation
where nobody's actually died.
In all seriousness, er...
while Mr Litvinenko is alive,
we have the best possible witness
we could hope for.
Our two friends from Homicide
have begun the process
of talking to the victim.
of talking to the victim.
They've made a strong start. Let's
now build on their findings, please.
What's dangerous here
are the unknowables.
Useful though Litvinenko's
statements have been so far,
we do not yet know
who it was that tried to kill him.
We do not know what with.
We do not know where.
And we do not know why.
All we can be certain about...
..is that a substance,
an unidentified poison,
has been deployed in Central London,
has been deployed in Central London,
the busiest square mile in Europe.
And that that substance
has the power to kill people.
If we needed something
to focus our thinking...
..let it be that, please.
Right.
Back to it.
Erm, sir...
I appreciate that
this is now a Counter Terrorism job.
I appreciate that
this is now a Counter Terrorism job.
But, er, I just wanted to say
that Jim and I
have built up a very close personal
dialogue with Mr Litvinenko.
Not to mention the fact...
It's not a Counter Terrorism job,
Brent.
It's a joint inquiry.
Right.
And there's a clock on this, yes?
We just owe it to the bloke
to finish what we've started.
Well, you'd better get on with it,
then.
The time is now 14:41
on the 19th of November, 2006.
The same persons still present.
Also present...
My name is Nina Tupper.
I'll be acting as interpreter
for Mr Litvinenko.
What I need now, Sasha,
is for you to complete your account
of the 1st of November.
This important day.
I leave Itsu.
I make phone call
to arrange next meeting.
Scaramella wasn't your only meeting
that day?
No. I agree to meet
old colleague from KGB.
He's in London on family holiday.
He is staying at Millennium Hotel,
Grosvenor Square.
And his name?
Andrei Lugovoy.
He say,
"Hurry, Sasha. Meet now. Meet early.
He say,
"Hurry, Sasha. Meet now. Meet early.
"Er, we not have much time."
He brought the meeting forward?
Yes.
Yes.
Because they are going
for football match.
Arsenal and CSKA Moscow.
They being Mr Lugovoy
and his family?
No.
Lugovoy and his associate.
This name...
I not remember this name.
You didn't know the second guy?
Kovtun. I remember.
Dmitry Kovtun.
I go hotel.
I walk inside.
I see Lugovoy.
Er...
How do you say "in the foyer"?
Lugovoy was waiting in the foyer.
He says for me to go into hotel bar.
The waiter come.
Asks for me to have drink.
But before I can say yes,
Lugovoy say, "No, no.
"No more drinks.
We are only here a short while."
"No more drinks.
We are only here a short while."
The waiter goes away.
So, you don't have a drink?
Lugovoy told him, "There's no need
to order a drink of your own.
"After all, there is plenty of tea
left in the pot."
So you drank the left-over tea?
How much?
Three mouthfuls.
How much?
Three mouthfuls.
The tea is cold. I not like.
And Kovtun?
Where's he in all this?
Brent, would you point this fan?
Yes, of course.
Kovtun come from his room,
say hello.
Kovtun come from his room,
say hello.
Talk about...
big business scheme.
He say, "I can make money in UK.
"If the police ask questions,
you pay them off."
He's arrogant.
I say, "No, you do not understand
United Kingdom.
"Here,
policeman does not take bribes.
"Here...
"more than any country,
policeman is good.
"more than any country,
policeman is good.
"You can trust with your life."
What else can you give me
on Lugovoy?
I know you're tired, Sasha.
But you're right,
this is crucial now.
I wouldn't be doing my job
if I didn't push you on this.
I wouldn't be doing my job
if I didn't push you on this.
In his house,
Mr Litvinenko has many papers,
all of which he's made sure
to arrange very carefully.
In the bottom drawer of his desk
you will find a file on Lugovoy.
I've found him.
I've found him.
Turns out he's an ex-platoon
commander in the KGB,
and involved in state security.
The Russian
Foreign Intelligence Service
today denied having anything to do
with what happened
to a critic of President Putin
when he apparently visited
a sushi bar.
Peter Marshall reports.
The victim, the former Russian spy
Alexander Litvinenko,
a defector,
whose poisoning in London
has left him in hospital
fighting for his life...
This is you.
Alexander Litvinenko now joins
a growing list
of those who've been victims
of assassination...
It's exciting.
That's one word for it.
All have one thing in common,
all are vehement critics
of Vladimir Putin.
A person of his standing, I think...
Hey...
Hm...
Morning, Floppy.
Morning, guv.
Timmons.
Detective, this is James Cairns
calling from Aldermaston.
I have a result for you
on the urine sample.
Go on.
The sample contains clear traces of
a substance known as polonium-210.
The sample contains clear traces of
a substance known as polonium-210.
'Sorry.'
Polonium? Erm...
You mean plutonium?
Polonium. It's an isotope.
It's extremely rare.
'Almost certainly produced
in Russia.'
Right, erm, well,
what does that mean for the victim?
'Well, I'm not a medical doctor.
It's not my job to say.'
Yeah, but in your opinion...?
Well, in my opinion, there's no
conceivable way that he can survive.
Polonium is commonly accepted to be
'the most dangerous substance
known to man.'
'the most dangerous substance
known to man.'
She's, er...
gone to get some air.
gone to get some air.
Sasha...
..always makes life easy for me.
Whatever he tells me...
..I believe.
He tells me he has been poisoned.
He tells me he has been poisoned.
I believe.
He tells me
this poison will kill him.
I believe.
But all this time...
..just because I believe...
..it does not mean I do not hope.
It does not mean I cannot hope.
He's wrong.
Mrs Carter...
..given we're near the end of the
interviews now, I was wondering...
..would you like to come
into the room, sit with Sasha?
I'd like it if you said yes.
I come out of bus.
I put music in my ears. I walk home.
But before I go in my door, I see...
..my wife and my son in window.
They are happy.
They are happy.
And once indoors...
erm, you stay indoors?
Did you eat?
Yes, I had a meal.
Marina made dinner.
She always makes
such excellent meals.
Later, I have pain in stomach.
I have blood in mouth.
I am sick.
I am poisoned, I know this.
I know.
I am sorry, Detective.
I have not learnt English language
completely yet.
But I am proud to be able to say
I am British citizen.
But I am proud to be able to say
I am British citizen.
Britain is good country.
I will die, yes.
But I will die a free person.
My wife and son are free.
I say to my son...
.."Remember
for the rest of your life...
.."Remember
for the rest of your life...
"..this country saved us."
You ask me many questions.
I'm sorry.
Now I ask you.
You have wife?
I do.
You love this woman?
I do.
Children?
Not yet.
But we still hope to.
I ask request of you, Inspector.
I know there will be pressure...
..from top.
On the police.
On you.
But...
..I ask you to do your best...
..to bring this case to justice
for me.
For my family.
As far as it is possible.
Sasha...
..I give you my word.
Hm...
The mystery
surrounding the poisoning
of the former Russian agent
Alexander Litvinenko
has deepened tonight.
Doctors now say that it's unlikely
that he was poisoned with thallium.
Mr Litvinenko remains in a...
The discovery of polonium
puts this case
at the top of
the Metropolitan Police's agenda.
I've called an emergency meeting
of the relevant agencies.
And I'll be establishing
a testing site here at the Yard.
Nick's from
the Health Protection Agency.
You and your team
will all need assessing,
as will anyone or anything
as will anyone or anything
that's come into direct contact
with the victim.
Erm, how do you mean anything?
Er, you, your tapes, your
recording equipment, your clothes.
It will all need to be scanned
for signs of radioactivity.
Why do you think we're sitting
on this side of the table?
So, if someone who was contaminated
gave you something,
that object could also be carrying
traces of the...?
Polonium. That's right.
I'm sorry, sir. I have to go.
Brent...
Hi.
Hi.
I'm just taking an interest.
What was that for?
Brent...?
Negative.
Thank you very much.
The hospital called.
Sasha's had a cardiac.
But, erm...
Brent, the meeting's starting.
We'd better...
The sushi restaurant, the victim's
home, the Millennium Hotel,
wherever Mario Scaramella
was staying,
these need to be secured
as an absolute priority.
these need to be secured
as an absolute priority.
How many, erm, uniforms can I get?
How many do you need?
Oh, 50, minimum.
Er, there are on-call teams
at Belgravia and Savile Row.
They can be made available
immediately.
Tomorrow, that can double.
But let's be careful, please.
This is one of the world's...
busiest cities.
Flood the streets with uniform,
they can create a panic.
Mr Litvinenko died at 21:21
this evening.
Mr Litvinenko died at 21:21
this evening.
I want to show you something.
This is now...
a murder investigation.
And there's never been
a murder investigation like it.
So, let's all take a moment.
Let's look around us.
And let's understand...
that the people
sitting in this room just now
that the people
sitting in this room just now
are the people
best equipped to get justice
for a British citizen
and his family.
What was it that you told me
when we first got here?
You didn't think anybody
was taking it seriously.
Mr Goldfarb! Mr Goldfarb!
Good evening. Good evening.
Erm...
Two days ago, I spent some time
Two days ago, I spent some time
in the company of my friend,
Alexander Litvinenko...
..who died this evening.
Sasha asked me
to read something to you.
I have the privilege
of doing this now.
"I would like to thank my doctors
and hospital staff,
"who did all they could for me.
"I would like to thank
the British police,
"who are pursuing my case
with vigour and professionalism.
"who are pursuing my case
with vigour and professionalism.
"I would like to thank
my wife Marina,
"who's stood by me.
"My love for her and our son
knows no bounds.
"But as I lie here...
"..I can distinctly hear the beating
of wings of the Angel of Death.
"I think, therefore...
"..that this may be the time
to say one or two things
"to the person responsible.
"to the person responsible.
"You may succeed in silencing me.
"But the howl of protest
from around the world
"will reverberate, Mr Putin,
in your ears...
"for the rest of your life.
"May God forgive you
for what you have done,
"not only to me...
"but to our beloved Russia
and its people."
Right...
..here's what we're gonna do.
But...
..er, it is important
I do this in English.
..er, it is important
I do this in English.
Because today...
..after six years of waiting,
we receive letter
from UK government.
Now, we call ourselves...
British family.
British family!
British family!
Anatoli, bed in five minutes!
Mum, come on!
The game is almost finished.
Uh-uh.
Oh...!
Marina!
Sasha?
Yes, sir, I think there was a fair
bit of back and forth about this.
Yes, sir, of course.
Yes, I did try, sir.
But as you can imagine...
Yes, sir.
Sorry, mate. 20 minutes, tops.
Absolutely. Yes, sir.
Absolutely. Yes, sir.
Yes, I did see that.
The boss has got the hump.
We have got better things
to be doing, apparently.
I mean, why's this not
a Counter Terrorism job?
That's what I'm asking.
Counter Terrorism don't want it
because they don't deal
with homicides.
Homicide don't want it...
Because nobody's actually dead.
Because nobody's actually dead,
yeah.
But the real reason
nobody wants it...
..is because they all think
the man's lost his marbles.
..is because they all think
the man's lost his marbles.
Do we think that?
Well, I can't speak for you, Jim.
But I'd say, let's meet the guy
first, judge for ourselves.
Ah, hi, there.
We're here to see a Mr Carter.
Mr Edwin Carter.
It's, er, the one
who thinks he's been poisoned.
He's down the end.
Thanks.
Two minutes.
Yeah.
Mrs Carter?
Detective, this is...
..a big moment for us.
My husband, er, was worried
nobody was taking this seriously.
Well, we are here now, Mrs Carter.
He wants...
..the whole world to know
what has happened.
You understand?
Mm-hm.
Are you OK, Mrs Carter?
My husband is...
..ill.
And this means I am also ill.
We're together in life.
And he'll talk to us right now?
Er...
The doctors...
I know they do not believe him.
I know they do not believe him.
But they do not understand.
OK.
Mr Carter...
I'm Detective Inspector Brent Hyatt
of the Specialist Crime Directorate.
This is Detective Sergeant
Jim Dawson.
Detective...
..I need to report a murder.
Whose murder?
Mine.
Mine.
Today, yes, I am alive, of course.
I can stand.
But tomorrow?
No.
Tomorrow... I will be tired.
In two days?
Hm... worse, very weak.
In three days.
Or maybe it takes four days.
How can you know that?
The number of days, I mean.
If you have been poisoned,
as you say,
If you have been poisoned,
as you say,
how can you be so specific?
I know how this happen.
I know when. I know why.
Detective...
I explain to you my story...
..before it is too late.
Well, if he is a nutter,
then he's the most level-headed
nutter that I've ever come across.
And I've met a few.
Yeah.
OK, look...
We take his statement. Hear him out.
There they are.
Who's in charge here, please?
Look, I'm gonna put this
as politely as I can.
You need to go.
The man we're speaking to...
The man you're speaking to
is seriously ill.
That's the beginning and end of it.
He's saying that he's been poisoned.
He's saying that he's been poisoned.
People say all sorts of things.
That doesn't mean
we don't take them seriously.
Oh, we've taken him very seriously.
We've tested him for several toxins,
including thallium,
which is what he's convinced
he's been poisoned with.
But we just can't stand it up.
And his hair loss?
Likely a reaction
to the antibiotics.
I'm going to take his statement.
It's midnight.
I appreciate that.
Good.
Then, for the sake
of the other patients,
if that's what you insist on doing,
at least wait till the morning.
if that's what you insist on doing,
at least wait till the morning.
You're sure that will be possible?
How do you mean, sorry?
Can you give me
your personal guarantee
that Mr Carter will be alive
in the morning
in order to give us his statement?
If you can, then, fine,
we'll come back first thing.
If not...
..with respect, we'll crack on.
Mrs Carter, I'm going to
have to ask you to leave the room.
The time is 00:08
on the 18th of November, 2006.
I am Detective Inspector
Brent Hyatt.
Also present are...
Detective Sergeant Jim Dawson.
And...
Edwin, erm, if you could just state
your name, please, for the tape.
My name...
Er, my name is not Edwin Carter.
This name I use for protection.
This name I use for protection.
Erm, so what is your name?
For this statement
to be worth anything,
we need to know
who we're speaking to.
My name is Alexander Litvinenko.
I am former FSB officer.
In Russia, I have...
..a senior job.
Er, Deputy Head of Section Seven.
Section Seven?
Top secret department.
Top secret department.
Er...
This job is simple job.
This job is to kill.
Your job was to kill?
Yes.
Who?
Enemies of Russian state.
Er...
They give me list.
Er, they give me names.
Ask me to organise.
That's why I am here today.
Because you killed people?
No, because I refuse.
Because you killed people?
No, because I refuse.
This job is not human.
This job is corruption job.
Corruption in the law, and...
..corruption, er...
..here, inside.
Er, when we arrive to London,
I write book about...
..Russia, about corruption.
And when I write this book...
..they're very angry with me.
..they're very angry with me.
They... They come find me.
They want kill me.
And because you wrote that book,
you became a target?
Yes, because I tell truth.
Because...
..I am troublemaker.
And you have...?
Do you have any idea
who may have made this order?
Yes, I know the man
who make order for this.
The man who says I must die...
..I know this person.
You have a name?
..I know this person.
You have a name?
This man was head of FSB.
Was?
Before, yes. Not any more.
What is his name, Edwin?
Let's, er...
Let's start with a name.
His name is Vladimir Putin.
Morning, Floppy
MAN: Morning, guv.
It is being billed as
the celebrity wedding of the year.
It is being billed as
the celebrity wedding of the year.
An A-list of stars
has gathered in Rome
for the wedding
of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.
The ceremony is expected
to take place today...
We have a Russian friend in London.
Alex Goldfarb.
He arrange for a photographer
to come to the hospital.
He says we need...
publicity... for Sasha.
Sasha?
Erm...
Alexander.
Alexander.
We say Sasha... for short.
You think it was mistake?
Professionally speaking,
I couldn't say.
Personally, if Sasha wants the
whole world to know what happened,
I'd say you'd be hard pushed
to come up with anything better.
Brent...
It's important now, Alexander,
that we draw up a list of people
you've had contact with in London.
Get an idea
of who might have done this.
Get an idea
of who might have done this.
Does that make sense?
When we come to London,
I make contact with other Russians.
What sort of Russians?
Er...
like me. Erm, enemies of state.
Alex Goldfarb.
Boris Berezovsky.
And a woman who visits here
from Chechnya.
Anna Politkovskaya.
She is also a target?
Yes.
Because she writes many articles
against Putin.
Because she writes many articles
against Putin.
Against war in Chechnya.
She is critic.
Er, she go home in October.
Er, she go back to Moscow.
She is murdered.
Killed?
Murdered. It is fact.
I say to all media,
my friend Anna
has been killed by Russian state.
By Vladimir Putin.
If I not explain this, nobody will.
And this was in October
of this year?
October 7th.
Putin's birthday.
Next, from nowhere,
I receive phone call from...
Italian man.
Intelligence expert
with connection to Russia.
Er, he says coming to London.
Er, he says coming to London.
He say he wants to see me,
wants to have lunch with me.
He calls you up, out the blue,
and says he wants to meet you
for lunch in London?
Do you have a name?
His name Mario Scaramella.
Did he say why he wanted to meet?
But you agreed to meet him?
Do you remember what date this was?
Yes, I remember. 1st of November.
Also very important day.
Why?
Because this is the day
I am poisoned.
Detective, Alex Goldfarb.
Long-time friend of Sasha's.
You brought in the photographer.
Er, please,
this is Professor John Henry.
He is one of the world's
top toxicologists.
Detective.
Detective.
He would like permission
to examine Sasha.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Erm, with respect,
it's not my permission to give.
Erm, that being said...
..if you do find a way
to examine him,
would you mind keeping me posted?
We're not exactly getting much joy
out of the doctors ourselves.
Come.
He's had two Homicide detectives
with him for the past 24 hours.
Now...
it's not our job, technically,
because we don't handle homicides.
But Homicide are saying
it's not theirs, either.
Because no-one's actually dead.
Because no-one's actually dead.
Well, it's a fair point.
Either way, Clive,
given how this is escalating,
given his background, given the
international nature of all of this,
given his background, given the
international nature of all of this,
we want it as a joint inquiry,
with Counter Terrorism
taking the lead.
And as the on-call SIO in London...
I'm the lucky man.
I'm not sure lucky's the word.
Well, it might be not for you, guv.
But in my job,
you can spend your entire career
waiting for something like this
to come along, and it never does.
So, I'll take it.
I meet Scaramella
at Piccadilly Circus.
I meet Scaramella
at Piccadilly Circus.
He's very worried man. He says,
"Let's go, let's go, let's go."
So we walk away. We go sushi place.
Itsu.
Intzoo?
Itsu.
Itsu, it's the name of it. Itsu.
OK.
But then he say,
"I am not hungry.
I already have food before."
Wait. He comes all the way
from Italy for lunch.
But when you meet him,
he's already eaten?
And the whole time
you were together,
you were the only one to eat?
Only me.
you were the only one to eat?
Only me.
Scaramella only drink. With lid.
He's very, er...
anxious.
Er...
He's, he's, he's...
He's very...
..hot.
Sorry, my English is not...
No, erm, there's no rush, Sasha.
Yeah.
You take your time.
We do not have time to take time.
We do not have time to take time.
That is problem, Detective.
Scaramella say
he has something to show me.
A white package.
He tries give contents of package
to me.
He tried to give you the contents
of a white package?
I say, "I not want these papers."
But he say, "No, take, take, take.
Put in your bag."
And did you?
What else can I do? I take packet.
I eat food. I go.
Scaramella is a little bit, er...
Er, he's mad man.
To be clear, Scaramella might have
been the person sent to poison you?
It is possible.
So...
So...
Er, one minute, please.
Mr Carter needs his medication.
Excuse me.
Detective, I ask Marina
to bring you copy of my book.
This is from me to you.
Thank you.
Well, there you go. Scaramella.
I don't mind calling that one in.
Brent Hyatt.
Professor?
The doctors got it wrong.
No, let me rephrase that.
Wrong, it's...
No, let me rephrase that.
Wrong, it's...
It's harsh.
But he has been poisoned?
Oh, I'm convinced.
Though not with thallium.
Sasha was wrong about that.
Having seen the data
the doctors gathered,
it's clear they scanned him
with a Geiger counter.
That would have picked up thallium,
and/or other heavy metals
common in poisoning,
had they been there.
But they weren't?
No.
What a Geiger Counter misses
are things called alpha emitters.
And, suddenly, that explained
everything, including the hair loss.
And, suddenly, that explained
everything, including the hair loss.
Sasha Litvinenko has been poisoned
in the middle of London,
in the middle of a working day,
with a radioactive substance.
Now, precisely which one,
it is hard to say.
How do we find out?
By getting a sample of Sasha's urine
down to the Atomic Weapons
Establishment in Aldermaston.
It's the only place in the country
that can run the analysis.
Get it down there first thing
tomorrow, get priority clearance,
then I'd say you would have feedback
within a day or two.
then I'd say you would have feedback
within a day or two.
A day or two
may be all poor Sasha has left.
Here. Turn right here a second.
Have you got it, too,
or is it just me?
The guilt.
The guy's giving us
the final days of his life.
The one person
who should be with him
is stuck in the corridor
on a plastic chair.
Well, there's only one way to stop
yourself feeling like that, Brent.
Catch the bastards.
Go straight through.
Right, congratulations!
What you're working on is
the first-ever murder investigation
where nobody's actually died.
In all seriousness, er...
while Mr Litvinenko is alive,
we have the best possible witness
we could hope for.
Our two friends from Homicide
have begun the process
of talking to the victim.
of talking to the victim.
They've made a strong start. Let's
now build on their findings, please.
What's dangerous here
are the unknowables.
Useful though Litvinenko's
statements have been so far,
we do not yet know
who it was that tried to kill him.
We do not know what with.
We do not know where.
And we do not know why.
All we can be certain about...
..is that a substance,
an unidentified poison,
has been deployed in Central London,
has been deployed in Central London,
the busiest square mile in Europe.
And that that substance
has the power to kill people.
If we needed something
to focus our thinking...
..let it be that, please.
Right.
Back to it.
Erm, sir...
I appreciate that
this is now a Counter Terrorism job.
I appreciate that
this is now a Counter Terrorism job.
But, er, I just wanted to say
that Jim and I
have built up a very close personal
dialogue with Mr Litvinenko.
Not to mention the fact...
It's not a Counter Terrorism job,
Brent.
It's a joint inquiry.
Right.
And there's a clock on this, yes?
We just owe it to the bloke
to finish what we've started.
Well, you'd better get on with it,
then.
The time is now 14:41
on the 19th of November, 2006.
The same persons still present.
Also present...
My name is Nina Tupper.
I'll be acting as interpreter
for Mr Litvinenko.
What I need now, Sasha,
is for you to complete your account
of the 1st of November.
This important day.
I leave Itsu.
I make phone call
to arrange next meeting.
Scaramella wasn't your only meeting
that day?
No. I agree to meet
old colleague from KGB.
He's in London on family holiday.
He is staying at Millennium Hotel,
Grosvenor Square.
And his name?
Andrei Lugovoy.
He say,
"Hurry, Sasha. Meet now. Meet early.
He say,
"Hurry, Sasha. Meet now. Meet early.
"Er, we not have much time."
He brought the meeting forward?
Yes.
Yes.
Because they are going
for football match.
Arsenal and CSKA Moscow.
They being Mr Lugovoy
and his family?
No.
Lugovoy and his associate.
This name...
I not remember this name.
You didn't know the second guy?
Kovtun. I remember.
Dmitry Kovtun.
I go hotel.
I walk inside.
I see Lugovoy.
Er...
How do you say "in the foyer"?
Lugovoy was waiting in the foyer.
He says for me to go into hotel bar.
The waiter come.
Asks for me to have drink.
But before I can say yes,
Lugovoy say, "No, no.
"No more drinks.
We are only here a short while."
"No more drinks.
We are only here a short while."
The waiter goes away.
So, you don't have a drink?
Lugovoy told him, "There's no need
to order a drink of your own.
"After all, there is plenty of tea
left in the pot."
So you drank the left-over tea?
How much?
Three mouthfuls.
How much?
Three mouthfuls.
The tea is cold. I not like.
And Kovtun?
Where's he in all this?
Brent, would you point this fan?
Yes, of course.
Kovtun come from his room,
say hello.
Kovtun come from his room,
say hello.
Talk about...
big business scheme.
He say, "I can make money in UK.
"If the police ask questions,
you pay them off."
He's arrogant.
I say, "No, you do not understand
United Kingdom.
"Here,
policeman does not take bribes.
"Here...
"more than any country,
policeman is good.
"more than any country,
policeman is good.
"You can trust with your life."
What else can you give me
on Lugovoy?
I know you're tired, Sasha.
But you're right,
this is crucial now.
I wouldn't be doing my job
if I didn't push you on this.
I wouldn't be doing my job
if I didn't push you on this.
In his house,
Mr Litvinenko has many papers,
all of which he's made sure
to arrange very carefully.
In the bottom drawer of his desk
you will find a file on Lugovoy.
I've found him.
I've found him.
Turns out he's an ex-platoon
commander in the KGB,
and involved in state security.
The Russian
Foreign Intelligence Service
today denied having anything to do
with what happened
to a critic of President Putin
when he apparently visited
a sushi bar.
Peter Marshall reports.
The victim, the former Russian spy
Alexander Litvinenko,
a defector,
whose poisoning in London
has left him in hospital
fighting for his life...
This is you.
Alexander Litvinenko now joins
a growing list
of those who've been victims
of assassination...
It's exciting.
That's one word for it.
All have one thing in common,
all are vehement critics
of Vladimir Putin.
A person of his standing, I think...
Hey...
Hm...
Morning, Floppy.
Morning, guv.
Timmons.
Detective, this is James Cairns
calling from Aldermaston.
I have a result for you
on the urine sample.
Go on.
The sample contains clear traces of
a substance known as polonium-210.
The sample contains clear traces of
a substance known as polonium-210.
'Sorry.'
Polonium? Erm...
You mean plutonium?
Polonium. It's an isotope.
It's extremely rare.
'Almost certainly produced
in Russia.'
Right, erm, well,
what does that mean for the victim?
'Well, I'm not a medical doctor.
It's not my job to say.'
Yeah, but in your opinion...?
Well, in my opinion, there's no
conceivable way that he can survive.
Polonium is commonly accepted to be
'the most dangerous substance
known to man.'
'the most dangerous substance
known to man.'
She's, er...
gone to get some air.
gone to get some air.
Sasha...
..always makes life easy for me.
Whatever he tells me...
..I believe.
He tells me he has been poisoned.
He tells me he has been poisoned.
I believe.
He tells me
this poison will kill him.
I believe.
But all this time...
..just because I believe...
..it does not mean I do not hope.
It does not mean I cannot hope.
He's wrong.
Mrs Carter...
..given we're near the end of the
interviews now, I was wondering...
..would you like to come
into the room, sit with Sasha?
I'd like it if you said yes.
I come out of bus.
I put music in my ears. I walk home.
But before I go in my door, I see...
..my wife and my son in window.
They are happy.
They are happy.
And once indoors...
erm, you stay indoors?
Did you eat?
Yes, I had a meal.
Marina made dinner.
She always makes
such excellent meals.
Later, I have pain in stomach.
I have blood in mouth.
I am sick.
I am poisoned, I know this.
I know.
I am sorry, Detective.
I have not learnt English language
completely yet.
But I am proud to be able to say
I am British citizen.
But I am proud to be able to say
I am British citizen.
Britain is good country.
I will die, yes.
But I will die a free person.
My wife and son are free.
I say to my son...
.."Remember
for the rest of your life...
.."Remember
for the rest of your life...
"..this country saved us."
You ask me many questions.
I'm sorry.
Now I ask you.
You have wife?
I do.
You love this woman?
I do.
Children?
Not yet.
But we still hope to.
I ask request of you, Inspector.
I know there will be pressure...
..from top.
On the police.
On you.
But...
..I ask you to do your best...
..to bring this case to justice
for me.
For my family.
As far as it is possible.
Sasha...
..I give you my word.
Hm...
The mystery
surrounding the poisoning
of the former Russian agent
Alexander Litvinenko
has deepened tonight.
Doctors now say that it's unlikely
that he was poisoned with thallium.
Mr Litvinenko remains in a...
The discovery of polonium
puts this case
at the top of
the Metropolitan Police's agenda.
I've called an emergency meeting
of the relevant agencies.
And I'll be establishing
a testing site here at the Yard.
Nick's from
the Health Protection Agency.
You and your team
will all need assessing,
as will anyone or anything
as will anyone or anything
that's come into direct contact
with the victim.
Erm, how do you mean anything?
Er, you, your tapes, your
recording equipment, your clothes.
It will all need to be scanned
for signs of radioactivity.
Why do you think we're sitting
on this side of the table?
So, if someone who was contaminated
gave you something,
that object could also be carrying
traces of the...?
Polonium. That's right.
I'm sorry, sir. I have to go.
Brent...
Hi.
Hi.
I'm just taking an interest.
What was that for?
Brent...?
Negative.
Thank you very much.
The hospital called.
Sasha's had a cardiac.
But, erm...
Brent, the meeting's starting.
We'd better...
The sushi restaurant, the victim's
home, the Millennium Hotel,
wherever Mario Scaramella
was staying,
these need to be secured
as an absolute priority.
these need to be secured
as an absolute priority.
How many, erm, uniforms can I get?
How many do you need?
Oh, 50, minimum.
Er, there are on-call teams
at Belgravia and Savile Row.
They can be made available
immediately.
Tomorrow, that can double.
But let's be careful, please.
This is one of the world's...
busiest cities.
Flood the streets with uniform,
they can create a panic.
Mr Litvinenko died at 21:21
this evening.
Mr Litvinenko died at 21:21
this evening.
I want to show you something.
This is now...
a murder investigation.
And there's never been
a murder investigation like it.
So, let's all take a moment.
Let's look around us.
And let's understand...
that the people
sitting in this room just now
that the people
sitting in this room just now
are the people
best equipped to get justice
for a British citizen
and his family.
What was it that you told me
when we first got here?
You didn't think anybody
was taking it seriously.
Mr Goldfarb! Mr Goldfarb!
Good evening. Good evening.
Erm...
Two days ago, I spent some time
Two days ago, I spent some time
in the company of my friend,
Alexander Litvinenko...
..who died this evening.
Sasha asked me
to read something to you.
I have the privilege
of doing this now.
"I would like to thank my doctors
and hospital staff,
"who did all they could for me.
"I would like to thank
the British police,
"who are pursuing my case
with vigour and professionalism.
"who are pursuing my case
with vigour and professionalism.
"I would like to thank
my wife Marina,
"who's stood by me.
"My love for her and our son
knows no bounds.
"But as I lie here...
"..I can distinctly hear the beating
of wings of the Angel of Death.
"I think, therefore...
"..that this may be the time
to say one or two things
"to the person responsible.
"to the person responsible.
"You may succeed in silencing me.
"But the howl of protest
from around the world
"will reverberate, Mr Putin,
in your ears...
"for the rest of your life.
"May God forgive you
for what you have done,
"not only to me...
"but to our beloved Russia
and its people."
Right...
..here's what we're gonna do.