Dmitry Kovtun
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| Dmitry Kovtun |
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Dmitry Vladimirovich Kovtun (Russian: Дмитрий Владимирович Ковтун) is a Russian businessman and ex-KGB agent who met the poisoned ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko several times in London, the last time hours before Litvinenko fell ill. Kovtun was hospitalised with radiation poisoning in Moscow.
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[edit] Radiation investigation
Kovtun met the poisoned ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko in London on several occasions, first in mid-October and later only hours before Litvinenko fell ill on 1 November. On 9 December 2006, German police report finding traces of radiation at Hamburg flat used by Kovtun.[1] According to German investigators, the polonium traces were found on a couch where Kovtun is believed to have slept at his ex-wife's apartment in Hamburg (Altona-Ottensen) the night before he headed to London for a meeting with Litvinenko last month and according to British investigators, polonium traces were found on the airplanes in which Kovtun traveled between Moscow and London. Polonium traces were also found in Kovtun's car in Hamburg.[2]
Both Russian and British investigators have interviewed Kovtun. Furthermore, German detectives investigated Kovtun's suspected participation to plutonium smuggling into Germany.[3] Germany dropped the case against Kovtun on November 2009 [1]
Kovtun was hospitalised in Moscow with radiation poisoning. On 12 December 2006 he told Russia's Channel One TV that his "health was improving".[3] Kovtun says that he has only one explanation for the presence of polonium: "It is that I brought it back from London, where I met Alexander Litvinenko on October 16, 17 and 18".[3] British detectives, on the other hand, believe Litvinenko was not contaminated until the meeting on 1 November.
[edit] Speculation of poisoning
Various theories of Dmitry Kovtun involvement have been progressed in the media. One theory is he may be the murderer or an accomplice of one of the murderers of Alexander Litvinenko and mishandling the substance used, polonium-210. The other theory is that he is a victim just like or of Alexander Litvinenko.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Radiation 'trace' at Hamburg flat". BBC News. 2006-12-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6163667.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-09.
- ^ "German police confirm polonium traces". AP. 2006-12-11. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061211/ap_on_re_eu/poisoned_spy.
- ^ a b c "Interpol joins Litvinenko inquiry". BBC News. 2006-12-13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6172765.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
[edit] External links
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