Russian spy's Italian contact says not a suspect
Source: Reuters
(Updates with denial of involvement) ROME, Nov 29 (Reuters) - An Italian contact of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian spy who died of radiation poisoning in Britain, denied media reports on Wednesday that he was being treated as a suspect. Mario Scaramella, who is under police protection in London, met Litvinenko on Nov. 1 at a London sushi restaurant where traces of the deadly poison Polonium 210 were also found. His lawyer said he had not been contaminated by the poison. Media in Britain and Italy said on Wednesday that Litvinenko told a friend shortly before dying that the Italian might have killed him. But an Italian news agency quoted Scaramella as saying from London that police did not view him as a suspect. "In Italy they are saying I poisoned him, but the official British position is that I am not being questioned nor am I a suspect," he said by telephone, according to Ansa news agency. Scaramella has advised Italy's parliament on Soviet-era espionage and describes himself as a security consultant. Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema told parliament in response to questions about Scaramella that although he advised a parliamentary committee on espionage between 2003 and this year, Scaramella was not part of the Italian secret services. "Scaramella does not have now, nor has he had in the past, any organic link with the Italian secret services," he said. At the meeting in the London sushi bar, Scaramella showed Litvinenko emails warning that their lives may be in danger from St. Petersburg-based criminals. Scaramella's lawyer Sergio Rastrelli told Reuters from London that "tests have proved there is no trace of radioactive contamination" resulting from their meeting. British Prime Minister Tony Blair promised on Tuesday that "no diplomatic or political barrier" would be allowed to hamper the investigation into Litvinenko's death. The Kremlin denies any involvement but the Litvinenko case has fuelled tensions between London and Moscow. A post mortem examination will be carried out on Friday under secure conditions to avoid possible radioactive contamination. (Additional reporting by Stephen Brown)
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