RUSSIA: Tests on Russian spy's contact find no poisoning, but no final conclusion expected before next week

Record ID: 755879

  • Title: RUSSIA: Tests on Russian spy's contact find no poisoning, but no final conclusion expected before next week
  • Date: 3rd December 2006
  • Summary: (W5) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 2, 2006) (REUTERS) MOSCOW RED SQUARE BY NIGHT
  • Embargoed: 18th December 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA6OXS7C1ZYGC4KOFOSIJ9WCRCK
  • Story Text: The documents submitted by Irish experts to Russian health officials contain the results of tests they had conducted but not the final diagnosis, Gaidar's spokesman Valery Natarov told Reuters on Saturday (December 2).
    "Under the request of Russian doctors, the colleagues from Dublin have presented the documents, but these documents are only the results of the analyses (test) and not the final conclusions of what had happened to Doctor (Yegor) Gaidar on Monday, November 24. And judging from the results of the analyses (tests) we can say that something has caused the drastic changes in the vital system of the body of Doctor (Yegor) Gaidar within the short period of time. And that is why we can not say for sure what is the exact version of what had happened to Doctor (Yegor) Gaidar, including the version of poisoning or contamination," Natarov told Reuters.
    He also said the final results would be presented by Russian doctors yearly next week.
    "We expect that Russian Doctors would produce the final conclusions on December 4, next week, Monday," said the spokesman. Tests for radiation at the university where Russian politician Yegor Gaidar collapsed last week and at the hospital that treated him proved negative, Irish health officials said.
    Ireland's Radiological Protection Institute carried out the tests as part of a wider probe into Gaidar's illness after Russian doctors could find no natural cause for his ailment.
    Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov promised full cooperation with the Litvinenko investigation.
    "I don't see any reason to speculate - like the Western press is actively doing right now - that these are the long arms of KGB or FSB (Russia's intelligence service) or that Litvinenko knew a lot as a prominent spy, which is totally wrong," he said.
    "There must be a thorough and objective investigation. I'm sure it will proceed and Russia is ready to offer any help." The comments were shown by Russia's state television Vesti-24 which said they were first broadcast by Al Jazeera.
    In a separate incident Russian authorities delayed a flight by Finnish carrier Finnair <FIA1S.HE> from Moscow to Helsinki on Saturday after detecting radiation on board, Russia's Transport Ministry said.
    Russian officials said this week they were on high alert following Britain's decision to monitor several planes for radiation as part of the Litvinenko probe.
    Finnair spokesman Taneli Hassinen said the radiation came from an earlier authorised cargo containing low-level radiation.
    On Saturday, Britain's Health Protection Agency (HPA) gave the "all clear" to two EasyJet <EZJ.L> planes that Scaramella flew on as well as three British Airways <BAY.L> planes linked to the Litvinenko case.
    A BA spokeswoman said two of its planes, on which authorities had found "very low traces of a radioactive substance", had been cleared to return to service.
    A third BA aircraft that authorities were interested in had flown back from Moscow to Heathrow on Friday night.

    ESPIONAGE
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