BERLIN, December 10 (RIA Novosti) - Police in the German city of Hamburg on Sunday reported finding the traces of polonium-210 at places linked to a contact of poisoned former Russian intelligence agent Alexander Litvinenko.
Massive radiation checks are being carried out in Britain, Russia, and Germany as part of an international investigation into the murder of Litvinenko, who died in London November 23 of poisoning caused by radioactive substance polonium 210. He defected to the UK several years ago, and was known as a staunch critic of President Vladimir Putin.
Germany's Federal Radiation Protection Agency said its experts have found the traces of radiation at the home of the ex-wife of Dmitry Kovtun.
The tests clearly show that it is polonium 210, the agency said.
Kovtun, who met with Litvinenko in London shortly before the Russian security service defector was taken to hospital and diagnosed with poisoning, is now reported to have been hospitalized with similar symptoms. His lawyer, however, has dismissed the reports about Kovtun's illness.
British detectives, currently in Moscow for their probe into Litvinenko's murder, spoke with Kovtun through Russian counterparts earlier this week.
A team of investigators from the Russian Prosecutor General's Office started December 8 to question Andrei Lugovoi, another key witness in the Litvinenko case, in the presence of Scotland Yard experts. Lugovoi went to see the former Russian agent in London together with Kovtun.
