Italian who met spy Litvinenko arrested

Police today arrested an Italian security expert who met former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko the day he fell ill from poisoning.

Mario Scaramella was arrested in Naples, where he landed on his way back from London, Italian news agencies reported.

Rome prosecutors have been investigating Scaramella for violating secrets of his office and possible arms trafficking.

Scaramella met Litvinenko at a London sushi bar on November 1, the day the former spy fell ill.

On his deathbed on November 23, Litvinenko - a former KGB agent and harsh Kremlin critic - blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for involvement in his poisoning - an allegation that the Kremlin denied.