Was President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine poisoned on the orders of a Russian “political technologist” working for the Kremlin?
That is one of the sensational claims being examined by Ukraine’s chief prosecutor as he gets to grips with the new inquiry into how Mr Yushchenko apparently ingested a large dose of dioxin. It severely disfigured his face, and according to some accounts, almost killed him.
The allegation is contained in a leaked tape that has been impounded by the prosecutor. A copy has also been obtained by Newsnight, which has conducted its own investigation into the poisoning.
On Tuesday, the man at the centre of the allegation – Gleb Pavlovsky, the head of a pro-Kremlin Moscow think-tank, categorically denied the suggestion that he had thought up the idea of giving Mr Yushchenko the “mark of the beast”.
Mr Pavlovsky vehemently denies any involvement in an alleged attempt to poison Mr Yushchenko
The criminal investigation is still in its fairly early stages. But the signs are that the possibility of a Russian link is one of its main lines of inquiry.
It is believed that Yushchenko ingested the poison at a dinner held on September 5,02004 and was hosted by the deputy head of the SBU (secret service) Volodymyr Satsiuk. Of course Satsiuk has stated the poisoning did not take place at the meal, but that is the only time Yushchenko dismissed his security detail.
No one has been arrested and the investigation continues.
I have no hopes of ever knowing the truth on this one.