UK/FILE: Russian spy contact doing "well" in London hospital; Scaramella's friend says he was poisoning victim not perpetrator

Record ID: 721210

  • Title: UK/FILE: Russian spy contact doing "well" in London hospital; Scaramella's friend says he was poisoning victim not perpetrator
  • Date: 3rd December 2006
  • Summary: (W3) ROME, ITALY (FILE - NOVEMBER 21, 2006) (REUTERS) MARIO SCARAMELLA AND SENATOR PAOLO GUZZANTI, HEAD OF AN ITALIAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION ON KGB ACTIVITY IN ITALY DURING THE COLD WAR, SITTING DOWN JOURNALISTS TAKING SEATS FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARIO SCARAMELLA SAYING: "Yes, he (Alexander Litvinenko) was included in the list of names under danger, in the point of view of such a source." NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 18th December 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAAQ2774MQ7XRZLU037L4G65UIM
  • Story Text: Mario Scaramella, contact of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, is "well" and preliminary tests show no sign of radiation poisoning, a British hospital said on Saturday (December 2).
    Mario Scaramella was admitted to hospital in London after polonium 210 was detected in his body -- the same radioactive substance that killed Litvinenko.
    "He is well. Preliminary tests so far show no evidence of radiation toxicity," a spokesman for London's University College Hospital said.
    Further tests were due to be carried out on Scaramella over the weekend.
    Scaramella met Litvinenko at a London sushi restaurant on November 1, the same day the Russian fell ill.
    Scaramella's friend and Member of the European Parliament for London, Gerrard Batten said he called Scaramella the moment he found out he was the last person to meet with Alexander Litvinenko.
    "He told me that the reason he had come to talk to Alexander was that he'd received a tip off from another ex KGB agent in France that Litvinenko's life was in danger, that Mario's life was in danger and that also Paolo Guzzanti's life was in danger. Paulo Guzzanti of course headed up the commission investigating KGB infiltration into Italian politics."
    On November 21, Scaramella and Italian Senator Paolo Guzzanti held a press conference to announce that Litvinenko's name was on a hit list and that was why he had gone to meet him in London.
    Litvinenko's mysterious death has caused a public health scare in Britain and fed a variety of theories, many centring on the possible involvement of rogue Russian agents.
    Batten said Scaramella, who is being questioned by British police, is a victim not perpetrator in the bizarre poisoning scenario.
    "I think in view of the fact that there were death threats against the three of them - Litvinenko, Scaramella and Guzzanti - the fact that Scaramella has tested positive, the finger of suspicion points at him being a victim as well and I think that Guzzanti in Rome should be looking at some serious police protection."
    Officials said on Friday (December 1) that an adult female relative of Litvinenko had shown trace of polonium 210 in her urine, but that she was not in any short term danger and any long-term risk was unlikely.
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