Curiouser & Curiouser

The bizarre case of Alexander Litvinenko took an unusual turn today with Scotland Yard revealing an interesting meeting Litvinenko had:

It emerged yesterday that Mr Litvinenko travelled to Israel just weeks before he died to hand over evidence to a Russian billionaire of how agents working for President Putin dealt with his enemies running the oil company.

He passed this information to Leonid Nevzlin, the former second-in-command of Yukos, who fled to Tel Aviv in fear for his life after the Kremlin seized and then sold off the £21 billion company.

Mr Nevzlin told The Times that it was his "duty" to pass on the file. "Alexander had
information on crimes committed with the Russian Government’s direct participation," he said."He only recently gave me and my attorneys documents that shed light on the most significant aspects of the Yukos affair."

Investigators have told The Times that Mr Litvinenko had apparently uncovered "startling" new material about the Yukos affair and what happened to those opposing the forced break-up of the company.

Putin is building up his power as all Russian leaders have done since, and including the Czars. The only difference is that he's doing with the ruthlessness of a KGB leader and the cunning of a robber baron with the full weight of the government behind him.

This most definitely bears watching.