Dutch Lab Identifies Substance That Poisoned Yushchenko

Dec. 17, 2004
Moscow News

A Dutch laboratory has identified the exact substance that poisoned Victor Yushchenko, the presidential candidate from the Ukrainian opposition.

Professor Abraham Brouwer of Bio Detection Systems, a laboratory based in Amsterdam, informed the RIA news agency that the name of the poison is 2,3,7,8 Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxine, or 2,3,7,8 — TCDD, a type of dioxin.

The detailed results of Yushchenko’s blood analysis were obtained on Thursday night.

Brouwer said that the dioxin concentration in Yushchenko’s blood was 100,000 units per gram, which is 6000 times higher than the normal amount.

“I have seen a higher concentration of dioxin only once before. Such a high concentration in Yushchenko’s blood shows that he was poisoned deliberately, because products don’t naturally contain this much dioxin.”

The identified type of dioxin can only be produced in a laboratory, Brouwer pointed out. Further analysis may reveal where exactly it was produced, thus aiding the investigation to find those who participated in the poisoning of Yushchenko.

According to Yushchenko himself, he was poisoned on Sept. 5 at a dinner with with the country’s top security service officials. “That was the only place where no one from my team was present and no precautions were taken concerning the food,’’ he said.

”It was a project of political murder, prepared by the authorities.’’

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/12/17/dioxin.shtml