THE Russian businessman accused of killing Alexander Litvinenko, the former KGB agent poisoned in London in November 2006, has been given a key role in shaping his country’s security policy.

Andrei Lugovoi, who is wanted by Scotland Yard on suspicion of lacing Litvinenko’s tea with radioactive polonium 210, has been appointed to the security committee of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament.

The committee, which oversees antiterrorist legislation and border security, has regular contact with the Federal Security Service (FSB) - the former KGB - and the interior ministry. Most members are former intelligence officers.

Britain formally demanded Lugovoi’s extradition two years ago but Russia refused to hand him over, citing a constitutional bar on extraditing its own citizens. The row plunged Anglo-Russian relations to their lowest point since the cold war.

“It seems pretty extraordinary that the man accused of carrying out the first murder known to have involved a lethal radioactive substance should help to shape Russian security legislation,” said a Foreign Office source.

“Lugovoi should not be sitting in parliament - he should be facing a British court.”

Lugovoi, 42, a former KGB bodyguard who enjoys immunity from prosecution as an MP, dismissed the criticism.

“As far as I know in Britain there is such a concept as innocence until proven guilty,” he said as he tucked into a seafood salad at a Moscow restaurant he has just opened.

“As I’ve always said, I am innocent. If Britain has enough evidence to put me on trial, it should hand it over to Russia and I’ll be tried here. ”

He added: “As an MP I have the right to sit on any parliamentary committee. I worked in the world of security for many years and I can make a valuable contribution. There’s nothing controversial about it.”

In a strong sign that Lugovoi has nothing to fear in Russia, he and a delegation from his ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic party recently met President Dmitry Medvedev.

A few members of Russia’s opposition criticised the three-hour meeting at a private residence. One satirist joked that Medvedev had put his health at risk by meeting Lugovoi.

In one of its most contentious decisions since Lugovoi joined two years ago, the Duma security committee was instrumental in abolishing jury trials for terrorism suspects.

Lugovoi is proposing legislation which would help Russian private security companies to operate in lucrative markets in the Middle East and Africa –to “protect the interests” of the 750,000 people in the industry. He owns a security firm which could gain from contracts abroad. A multi-millionaire, he recently treated himself to a Bentley.

Lugovoi recently offered to send Dmitry Kovtun, an old friend who was with him in London on the day of the murder, to help to clear their names in Britain. Kovtun is considered a witness but is not wanted for the murder.

“We received no answer to our offer,” said Lugovoi. “That’s typical of the British authorities. Britain has a superiority complex - it thinks everything is better there.”

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