Wanted Russian given last chance

LONDON :

A Russian businessman wanted in Britain
over the death of ex spy Alexander Litvinenko
was on Monday given a final chance to give
evidence to the inquiry into the death.

Dmitry Kovtun had been due to appear via
video link  from Moscow for three days  from
Monday ,after  reversing a previous decision
not to do so in March ,but has given a series
of reasons for being unable to testify,

Judge Robert Owen ,who is presiding over,
the inquiry gave Kovtun ,until Tuesday
to provide testimony ,saying he feared
the Russian was attempting to "manipulate
the situation."

Kovtun and a second Russian Andrei Lugovoi
,are wanted by British police for allegedly
poisoning Litvinenko in London hotel
on November 1, 2006 using tea laced with
polonium-210,a radioactive isotope--AFP