22:49, 25 December 2006

Scaramella, a witness in "Litvinenko's case," knew about his forthcoming arrest

Mario Scaramella, one of the main witnesses in "Litvinenko's case," who was detained yesterday by Italian authorities upon his arrival by air from Great Britain, knew about his prepared arrest. Paolo Guccanti, Senator of the Italian Parliament, for whom Scaramella was gathering information, has announced the fact.

In his words, in the course of their conversation on Saturday, Scaramella told Guccanti that he would be most probably arrested upon his return to homeland, the "Associated Press" reports.

"I told him to stay there (in Great Britain) for the Christmas, but he answered that he would not do it, since he did not like to be thought to be a runaway," the senator has reported.

The Italian authorities have charged Scaramella of arms contraband and slander.

In 2002-2006, Scaramella was a consultant to the Parliamentary Commission investigating activities of former USSR special agencies in the territory of Italy. On November 1, he had a meeting in London with ex-FSB officer Litvinenko in the Itsu sushi-bar and was contaminated there with a dose of polonium-210.