British police investigating Alexander Litvinenko's murder were 'poisoned' in Moscow
'I think there was a deliberate ploy to weaken us physically because we were the decision makers in the team'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.British police investigating the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko with a radioactive cup of tea in London have revealed they were also poisoned in what they think was a Russian-backed attack.
Officers from Scotland Yard were sent to Moscow to investigate the men suspected of poisoning Mr Litvinenko, a former KGB agent and critic of the Russian government.
Former detective inspector Brian Tarpey, who led the investigation, said members of his team were poisoned during a visit to the prosecutor general’s office.
In the Channel 4 documentary Hunting the KGB Killers, Mr Tarpey says: “I had a cup of tea and we left.
“I started to feel uncomfortable; not wanting to put too fine a point on it, I had the sh**s.
“We were probably poisoned with something like gastroenteritis. I think there was a deliberate ploy to weaken us physically because we were the decision makers in the team.”
The Russian embassy declined to answer questions regarding Mr Tarpey’s claims, The Sunday Times reported.
The inquiry into the murder of Mr Litvinenko found his death was “probably” sanctioned by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments