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Russia issues visas to UK detectives in Litvinenko probe

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Russian visas have been issued for Scotland Yard experts investigating the death in London of ex-FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.
MOSCOW, December 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russian visas have been issued for Scotland Yard experts investigating the death in London of ex-FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.

"The visas for a group of Scotland Yard representatives are valid as of today," a ministry information and press department spokesman said.

Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin's administration and a close associate of exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky, died in a London hospital on November 23. His body was found to contain a large dose of polonium-210, a radioactive isotope.

British media reported earlier that Scotland Yard detectives may arrive in Moscow as early as Monday to interview several people who met Litvinenko around the time of his alleged poisoning at the beginning of November, including businessman and former KGB and FSB colleague Andrei Lugovoi.

According to British newspaper The Guardian, two businessmen, Dmitry Kovtun and Vyacheslav Sokolenko, who contacted Litvinenko just before his death, will also be questioned by British detectives in Russia, along with another two witnesses, whose names have not been disclosed.

After Litvinenko's death, Western media circulated a message purporting to be his deathbed note, in which he accused President Putin of orchestrating his death. The Kremlin has denied any involvement.

An Italian contact of Litvinenko, Mario Scaramella, has also been diagnosed with Po-210 poisoning. He said Saturday that he and Litvinenko had been poisoned because of secret information they shared, but did not specify details.

In ongoing investigations run by Scotland Yard, trace amounts of radiation have been discovered at 12 sites in Britain and on two BA planes that flew the Moscow-London route.

The results of Litvinenko's post-mortem examination on Friday have been passed to toxicologists for analysis, and have yet to be announced.

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