Special Report: Death of ex-Russian spy
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Mario Scaramella, the Italian contact of the dead former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, arrives at Regina Coeli jail in Rome, Dec. 24, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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BEIJING, Dec. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- An Italian man, who
might be involved in the case of poisoning Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, was
arrested when he flew home for Christmas in Naples, Italy, on Sunday.
The
Italian man Mario Scaramella was arrested under the accusation of
international arms trafficking and slander according to media reports. Besides,
he had been targeted in inquiries related to violating legislation on the
disposal of non-dangerous waste, libel and giving the legal authorities false
information.
Earlier in London, Scaramella was
hospitalized for suspected radiation poisoning treatment because of his
meeting with the former KGB on the same day who was radiation poisoned.
Scaramella said he showed Litvinenko e-mails at the
Nov. 1 meeting from a confidential source identifying the possible killers of
Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya and listing other potential
targets for assassination --including himself and Litvinenko at the bar at
Millennium Hotel in London.
Anna Politkovskaya was a famous Russian investigative
journalist known for her critical coverage of the war in Chechnya, who was found
killed in Moscow early October.
Litvinenko died in London on Nov. 23, about
twenty days after his meeting with Scaramella. Experts investigating his death
have found radiation traces at a dozen locations and on two British Airways
planes that flew the Moscow-London route.
The same day that Litvinenko met with Scaramella, the
Russian also met wth Andrei Lugovoi, also an ex-Soviet agent; Dmitry
Kovtun, a Russian businessman; and Vyacheslav Sokolenko, head of a private
Russian security firm, in the bar at London's Millennium Hotel.
All three men have denied involvement in the ex-spy's
death.
(Agencies)
