WORLD / Europe |
Contact says secret Russian groups poisoned ex-spy(Reuters)Updated: 2006-12-06 14:00 LONDON - An Italian contact of poisoned former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko accused "clandestine organizations" from Russia that were not under direct control of the Kremlin of targeting his dead friend. Mario Scaramella, in a London hospital after doctors found traces of a radioactive substance in his urine, told CNN in an interview broadcast on Wednesday he was feeling well despite the discovery. The expert on the KGB and its successor organization recalled meeting Litvinenko on November 1 at a sushi restaurant in London and sharing with him emails from a source warning the pair their lives might be in danger. "(The emails said) him and in a certain sense me -- I was mentioned as well but for different reasons -- were under the special attention of hostile people and so to take care," Scaramella said. Asked who these "hostile people" were, he said: "People linked with some clandestine organizations not directly under control of (the) Russian establishment but from Russia ... generally retired people from the security service." On Saturday, when Scaramella said urine tests had detected traces of polonium 210 -- the substance that killed Litvinenko -- in his body, he did not accuse anyone of the poisoning. Litvinenko, a critic of the Kremlin, accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering his death. The Kremlin denies any involvement. Speaking to CNN from his hospital bed, Scaramella said he felt fine. "Doctors confirmed that I have no symptoms, no effect of the poisoning, so again I am perfectly well." He also doubted whether the poisoning took place at the sushi restaurant as has been widely speculated. "I don't believe it happened there simply because there were no other people, any strange situation," Scaramella said, adding that he did not think he had been a target himself. The probe into Litvinenko's death on November 23 moved to Moscow on Monday as a team of British detectives flew there to look for leads. |
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