Ministers accused of protecting Russia over Litvinenko The British Government yesterday rejected a formal request from coroner Sir Robert Owen to replace his inquest with a public inquiry. He fears he cannot properly investigate the death because a ruling on secret evidence means he cannot examine material relating to whether the Russian state was involved. A public inquiry could look at such material in private but ministers have refused to hold one. Mr Litvinenko, 43, a former KGB agent, was poisoned with radioactive polonium - 210 while drinking tea at a central London hotel in 2006. His widow Marina, who has also called for a public inquiry, said the rejection was a "political decision," adding: "Were they trying to protect the Russian state? Were they trying to protect national security secrets? Alex Goldfarb, a family friend, added: "There's some sort of collusion behind the scenes with Her Majesty's Government and the Kremlin to obstruct justice." Elena Tsirlina, Mrs Litvinenko's solicitor, said the decision not to hold a public inquiry followed "months of talks between the two governments at the highest level" between the prime ministers of both Russia and Britain. She said: "What deals have been made behind the scene is difficult to know." A Government spokesman said: "We believe that the coroner's inquest can continue to effectively investigate the circumstance of Mr Litvinenko's death and we will continue to cooperate fully with it."