Britain's officials criticize statement on special agencies' involvement in Litvinenko's murder

Today, British press published a statement of Gordon Brown, spokesman of the UK Prime Minister's Office, who criticizes recent utterances made by British counterspies on air of the BBC on involvement of Russian authorities in murdering ex-officer of the FSB (Federal Security Bureau) Alexander Litvinenko.

We remind you that on July 8 Vladimir Markin, official representative of the Investigatory Committee at the Russian Prosecutor's Office, declared that Russian investigators have no data about involvement of any special agencies in Litvinenko's murder.

"As to this week's story, I can state that none of the counter-intelligence agents and security officials is authorized to comment or provide any data on Litvinenko's case," the authoritative Financial Times quotes the Downing Street representative as saying.

According to the spokesman of the UK Prime Minister's Office, the London's stand in relation to the investigation into Litvinenko's murder remains the same. "The police and Royal Prosecutor's Service have identified the person who, as they assert, should face justice on murder charges," the spokesman said, hinting to the demand of the British party to extradite Andrei Lugovoy, accused of poisoning Litvinenko.