Putin killed me - slain KGB spy

Pathologists examining the body of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko - poisoned with a rare radioactive isotope in London in 2006 - carried out the world's most dangerous postmortem, an inquiry into his killing heard yesterday.

British authorities believe that Kremlin critic Litvinenko was poisoned with green tea laced with polonium-210 at the Millennium Hotel, in central London, during a meeting with two Russians, Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun.

The inquiry at the London High Court heard on Tuesday that Litvinenko told the police that Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally ordered his death.

His widow's lawyer, Ben Emmerson, said this was partly to cover up Kremlin links to the mafia, which the former spy was planning to expose in co-operation with a Spanish intelligence agency.

Lawyer Robin Tam told the inquiry that secret UK government evidence gave prima facie support to the allegation of Russian state culpability.

Tam read a transcript of an interview with Litvinenko while on his deathbed: "I have no doubt whatsoever that this was done by the Russian secret service," it read. "Having knowledge of the system, I know that the order about such a killing of a citizen of another country on its territory, especially if it's something to do with Great Britain, could have been given only by . Vladimir Putin."

The Kremlin has always denied involvement, as have Lugovoy and Kovtun, the main suspects, whom Russia has refused to extradite.

Litvinenko's health deteriorated rapidly after his meeting with the Russians and he died three weeks later from multiple organ failure.

The inquiry was told that "an inspired hunch" by police led them to bring in physicists who found that Litvinenko tested positive for alpha radiation poisoning two days before he died.

Lead pathologist Nat Cary said the cause of death would not otherwise have been discovered.

Co-pathologist Benjamin Swift told the inquiry: "It was probably the most dangerous postmortem that's ever been conducted. Those involved in the examination had needed to wear two white protective suits with special hoods fed with filtered air."

Emmerson said Lugovoy gave an interview to Russian radio on Tuesday denouncing the inquiry as a "judicial farce".

"When the situation in Ukraine kicked off and the UK's geographic interests had likely begun to change, they decided to dust off the mothballs and commence these proceedings," he reportedly said.