Claim : Murder suspect Dmitri Kovtun says that Alexander Litvinenko killed himself by mistake . One of the men accused of killing Alexander Litvinenko claimed today that the Russian spy 's death may have been an 'accidental suicide ' after he inadvertently handled polonium . Dmitri Kovtun , who is wanted for the dissident 's murder , insisted that he was not involved in Mr Litvinenko 's death and suggested that he had poisoned himself without knowing it . The suspect , a former KGB agent , has agreed to give evidence at the inquiry into Litvinenko 's death as long as he is given the right to examine secret evidence put forward by the police . If Kovtun testifies , he will have to do so by video link , because he will be arrested on suspicion of murder if he tries to travel to Britain . Mr Litvinenko met with Kovtun and Alexander Lugovoi , another former spy , in London shortly before he fell ill with radiation poisoning in November 2006 and died at the age of 43 . At a press conference in Russia today , Kovtun asserted his innocence and blamed Mr Litvinenko for his own death - saying he was carrying around polonium rather than being given it by Kovtun and Lugovoi , as has been previously claimed . He described the death as an 'accidental suicide ' , adding : ' I am more than sure that he was dealing with polonium without knowing it . 'Maybe there was some kind of polonium leak and it was gradually accumulating in his body . ' I do n't know if he had it with him or if somebody gave him something that he carried with him . Where he got the polonium from , that is the question . ' Scroll down for video . Killed : Litvinenko died of radiation poisoning in November 2006 after meeting Kovtun and Alexander Lugovoi . Denial : Kovtun told a press conference today that he had no involvement in Litvinenko 's death . The inquiry has previously heard that Mr Litvinenko ingested polonium-210 when he drank a cup of tea during a meeting with the two ex-KGB men at the Millennium Hotel in central London . But Kovtun said this was impossible , adding : 'Litvinenko told me that he would not eat anything because the night before he got terrible poisoning , was throwing up all night , and called an ambulance . 'That proves our total innocence , that he had already come into contact with polonium , perhaps several days before our meeting . ' He insisted that the reason he and Lugovoi left a trail of polonium around London during their visit to the city was because they had been contaminated by their meeting with Mr Litvinenko . Polonium is exceptionally rare , and experts have previously said that the amount ingested by the victim could only have been produced in a government-run facility . Suspects : Kovtun , left , and Lugovoi , right , have previously refused to co-operate with the public inquiry into Litvinenko 's death . Meeting : Litvinenko fell ill after going to see Kovtun and Lugovoi at the Millennium Hotel in London , pictured . The two suspects had refused to co-operate with the public inquiry currently under way into Mr Litvinenko 's death , saying that it would be biased against them . But last month , Kovtun dramatically changed his mind , and said that he would give evidence only if he is given 'core participant ' status . At today 's press conference , he told reporters : 'If I do n't get this status , I will not participate . ' Chairman Sir Robert Owen has issued Kovtun with a list of conditions which he must fulfil in order to be given the status , including issuing a full witness statement and disclosing all relevant documents . However , even if he is allowed to become a core participant he will not be given access to restricted material . Family : Litvinenko 's son Anatoly and wife Marina outside the inquiry at the Royal Courts of Justice . The inquiry has set aside three days in late July for Kovtun to give evidence over video link . Mr Litvinenko accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of being responsible for his killing in a statement issued from his deathbed . The spy fled Russia and sought refuge in Britain in 2000 , after he spoke against Putin , who he claimed had ordered him to kill tycoon Boris Berezovsky . The inquiry was shown video footage of Russian special forces using a photograph of Mr Litvinenko as target practice , as well as a picture of him looking gaunt and weak hours before he died .
Dmitri Kovtun claims Alexander Litvinenko was carrying around polonium without knowing it . Says the ex-spy 's death was 'accidental suicide ' during press conference . Comment: