Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal believes Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his Novichok poisoning, he told an investigation into the death of a woman unintentionally poisoned by the nerve agent on Monday.
Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a public bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March 2018 after Novichok was deposited on the front door handle of their home.
Four months later, Dawn Sturgess, a mother of three, died from exposure to the poison after her partner found a bottle of counterfeit perfume that police believe was used by Russian spies to smuggle the military-grade nerve agent into the country.
Skripal, his daughter, and a police officer who went to their home became seriously ill from the effects of the poison, but recovered.
The poisoning led to the largest diplomatic expulsions between East and West since the Cold War. Russia has repeatedly rejected British accusations that it was involved.
Skripal has not spoken publicly since the attack, but in a statement to the public inquiry into Sturgess’ death, he said he blamed Putin, although he acknowledged he had no hard evidence.
“I believe that Putin makes all important decisions on his own. Therefore, I think he must have at least given permission for the attack on Yulia and me,” Skripal said in the statement read by Andrew O’Connor, lawyer for the inquiry.
Skripal — who sold Russian secrets to the United Kingdom, went there after a spy swap in 2010 and claims he knew Putin personally — said he was aware of allegations that the Russian president was involved in illegal activities related to the disposal of rare metals .
“I read that Putin is a person very interested in poison and likes to read books on the subject,” he said in his statement.
The British government also considers that Russian agents carried out the attack in an operation authorized by Putin, lawyer Cathryn McGahey told the inquiry.
Earlier, the inquest was told that Sturgess, 44, was caught in the “crossfire” of an international assassination attempt.
Evidence suggests the contaminated perfume bottle contained enough poison to kill thousands of people, O’Connor said.
“You can conclude (…) that those who disposed of the vial in this way acted with a grotesque disregard for human life,” he told the inquiry chair, former Supreme Court judge Anthony Hughes.
Last week, the Russian embassy in London dismissed British accusations about “the alleged use of the mythical Novichok” as quite absurd. O’Connor said the inquiry would take into account the Russian response.
This content was originally published in Putin ordered Novichok attack, says double agent in British investigation on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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