Radiation found at German location ex-spy’s contact visited before meeting

HAMBURG – German authorities said Sunday that they found traces of the rare radioactive substance polonium-210 at an apartment visited by a contact of fatally poisoned ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko – before the two men met in London.

Prosecutors left open whether Russian businessman Dmitry Kovtun might have been involved in Litvinenko’s death. However, they said they were investigating him on suspicion that he may have improperly handled radioactive material.Investigators said Kovtun flew to Hamburg from Moscow with Aeroflot on October 28 and departed for London on November 1.That is the day when Kovtun and at least one other Russian met with Litvinenko at London’s Millennium Hotel – and when Litvinenko is believed to have fallen ill.Litvinenko – an ex-Russian agent who was a fierce Kremlin critic – died November 23 of poisoning from polonium-210 after blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin, also a former intelligence officer, for the poisoning.The Kremlin has vehemently denied involvement.Kovtun visited his ex-wife’s Hamburg apartment the night before he headed to London and met Litvinenko, German investigators said Sunday.Tests on traces of radiation at the apartment “clearly show that it is polonium-210,” Gerald Kirchner of the Federal Radiation Protection agency said at a news conference.The substance was found on a couch where Kovtun is believed to have slept at the apartment.Traces of radiation also were found in the passenger seat of the BMW car that picked Kovtun up from the Hamburg airport; on a document Kovtun brought to Hamburg immigration authorities; and at the home of Kovtun’s ex-mother-in-law outside Hamburg – all from before the Nov.1 meeting.Kovtun reportedly is being treated in Moscow for radiation poisoning.Russian authorities, calling it attempted murder, have opened a criminal investigation into his poisoning.Prosecutor Martin Koehnke said an investigation of Kovtun on suspicion of improper handling of radioactive material was opened because “at this stage of the investigation, we have sufficient initial cause to believe that he brought the polonium traces to Hamburg outside his body, or that these traces are the result of contact with polonium-210.”Nampa-APHowever, they said they were investigating him on suspicion that he may have improperly handled radioactive material.Investigators said Kovtun flew to Hamburg from Moscow with Aeroflot on October 28 and departed for London on November 1.That is the day when Kovtun and at least one other Russian met with Litvinenko at London’s Millennium Hotel – and when Litvinenko is believed to have fallen ill.Litvinenko – an ex-Russian agent who was a fierce Kremlin critic – died November 23 of poisoning from polonium-210 after blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin, also a former intelligence officer, for the poisoning.The Kremlin has vehemently denied involvement.Kovtun visited his ex-wife’s Hamburg apartment the night before he headed to London and met Litvinenko, German investigators said Sunday.Tests on traces of radiation at the apartment “clearly show that it is polonium-210,” Gerald Kirchner of the Federal Radiation Protection agency said at a news conference.The substance was found on a couch where Kovtun is believed to have slept at the apartment.Traces of radiation also were found in the passenger seat of the BMW car that picked Kovtun up from the Hamburg airport; on a document Kovtun brought to Hamburg immigration authorities; and at the home of Kovtun’s ex-mother-in-law outside Hamburg – all from before the Nov.1 meeting.Kovtun reportedly is being treated in Moscow for radiation poisoning.Russian authorities, calling it attempted murder, have opened a criminal investigation into his poisoning.Prosecutor Martin Koehnke said an investigation of Kovtun on suspicion of improper handling of radioactive material was opened because “at this stage of the investigation, we have sufficient initial cause to believe that he brought the polonium traces to Hamburg outside his body, or that these traces are the result of contact with polonium-210.”Nampa-AP