Russia does not murder spies any more-KGB veteran

BERLIN, Dec 14 (Reuters) The head of an organisation of former Russian spies was quoted as saying today Stalin-era policies of Moscow assassinating enemies had ceased, and ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko was probably murdered by criminals.

Former KGB agent Valentin Velichko, head of a Moscow-based Russian nationalist foundation called ''Dignity and Honour'', said in an interview that Litvinenko, who died on November 23 from severe radiation poisoning, was a traitor but was not killed by Moscow.

''That was long ago. It belonged to the days of Stalin,'' Velichko told Die Welt newspaper. He was referring to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, who in the 1930s led a campaign of political persecution, repression and executions.

''In those days there was a special department called ''V'', which handled the liquidation of political opponents,'' said Velichko, who also heads the Veterans of Foreign Intelligence.

Asked about the assassination of Bulgarian dissident writer Georgi Markov, who was killed with a poison dart coated with deadly ricin shot from an umbrella in 1978, decades after Stalin's death, Velichko said this was probably the last one.

''In the system of Russia's secret services there was and is no department for liquidations,'' he said.

Velichko was asked if some people in his organisation might have wanted to settle scores with Litvinenko. He said, ''No''.

''I see it (Litvinenko's murder) as a dispute among criminals,'' he said.

At the same time, Velichko said Litvinenko had revealed secrets, which ''made him a traitor under the law.'' In a statement associates released after his death, Litvinenko accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering his killing. The Kremlin has denied involvement.

POSSIBLE SUSPECT German police vowed yestewrday to examine the validity of comments by a Russian businessman Dmitry Kovtun, a contact of Litvinenko's, that he must have picked up traces of polonium from the murdered man when they met in mid-October.

The mid-October meeting in London was well before Litvinenko fell ill on November 1. A German prosecutor has said Kovtun could be a possible suspect in the case.

Kovtun, who also met Litvinenko on the day he fell ill and who is now in hospital in Moscow, denies any part in Litvinenko's poisoning.

Police in Hamburg today rejected a newspaper report that Kovtun had been in Berlin earlier this week. Investigating officers still did not have contact with their Russian counterparts despite repeated requests for assistance from Moscow, police said.

Velichko also told Die Welt that the use of polonium 210 to kill Litvinenko was a crude assassination that would not have been used by Russia security services.

''Professionals don't use polonium,'' he said.

REUTERS BDP RAI1629 eut 10:17 12-14-06