MOSCOW, March 1 - RAPSI. Former KGB officer Dmitry Kovtun accused by the UK authorities of involvement in Alexander Litvinenko's death intends to testify in the case by videoconferencing, Izvestia newspaper reports on Friday.

According to Kovtun his personal attendance at a London court is out of the question because he is to be arrested upon crossing the Russian border.

Former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko, who fled to the UK in 2000, died on November 24, 2006, at the age of 44 after spending a month in hospital.

British doctors diagnosed Litvinenko's death of polonium-210 poisoning. He met with Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun shortly before his death.

British officials have accused Lugovoy of murdering Litvinenko, and stated they have sufficient evidence to charge him with the murder. Lugovoy said the charges against him are politically motivated.

Dmitry Kovtun confirmed earlier this week that Russian prosecutors had received a letter from the Crown Prosecution Service dated February 12 requesting his extradition to face trial.

Kovtun deems this move was initiated under the pressure of Litvinenkos wife backed by businessman Boris Berezovsky self-exiled in London.