Blair promises full inquiry into ex-spy's death

LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) British Prime Minister Tony Blair promised today that ''no diplomatic or political barrier'' would be allowed to hamper an investigation into the death of a former Russian spy killed by radiation poisoning.

Blair said the case was ''very serious'' and he would discuss it with Russian President Vladimir Putin in person if necessary.

''I haven't spoken to President Putin but I will do so at any time that is appropriate,'' Blair told a news conference in Copenhagen. ''There is no diplomatic or political barrier in the way of (the) investigation going wherever it needs to go.'' ''It obviously is a very serious matter and we are determined to find out what happened and who is responsible.'' Significant amounts of radioactive Polonium 210 were found in the body of Alexander Litvinenko, a former agent who became a fierce Kremlin critic and accused Putin of ordering his slow, agonising death. Police are treating his death as suspicious.

The Kremlin denies any involvement but the Litvinenko case has fuelled tensions between London and Moscow.

Litvinenko died on Thursday, only weeks after being given British citizenship.

A coroner said a post mortem would be carried out on Friday under secure conditions to avoid possible radioactive contamination of doctors and technicians.

Mario Scaramella, an Italian KGB expert who met Litvinenko the day he became ill, is under British police protection and is undergoing medical tests, an Italian senator told Reuters.

Sen. Paulo Guzzanti said Scaramella, who has advised an Italian parliamentary commission on Soviet-era espionage, told him by telephone on Tuesday he was being kept in a castle.

''He said 'Listen, they are treating me like the Prince of Wales'. I'm in a castle, can you believe it? They gave me ...

escorts and bodyguards,'' Guzzanti said.

HELD IN SAFE HOUSE Police refused to confirm that Scaramella was under protection or being interviewed. His whereabouts were unclear.

Radiation was found at the sushi restaurant where Litvinenko met Scaramella on Nov. 1 and traces have also been detected at several more sites, including Litvinenko's home, a hotel he visited, the offices of Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky and the offices of Erinys, a security and risk management company.

Eight people have been sent for radiological assessment, Britain's Health Protection Agency said, adding it had received 1,121 calls from people concerned they had been contaminated.

Russia's nuclear chief said he doubted the Polonium 210 which apparently killed Litvinenko had been stolen from Russia.

''The Polonium that is produced in Russia for export ... is controlled very strictly, there is one producer and so it is under very strict control in accordance with all international agreements,'' Segei Kiriyenko said at a briefing.

Frenzied speculation has surfaced in British and Russian media about a possible motive for killing Litvinenko. Some link it to his reported investigations into Russian oil company Yukos and into last month's murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

A spokesman for Leonid Nevzlin, an Israel-based Russian businessman who was a major shareholder in Yukos, said Litvinenko had been investigating alleged wrongdoing by the Russian authorities in connection with the oil firm.

''A few months ago, he made contact with us and handed over documents pointing to crimes committed within the context of the Yukos affair. Yesterday, we passed these documents on to Scotland Yard,'' spokesman Amir Dan said.

Scaramella has said he showed Litvinenko e-mails from a shared source warning them their lives might be in danger from St.

Petersburg-based criminals. The emails said the same criminals, possibly acting for Moscow, had killed Politkovskaya.

REUTERS KR BST1210