Former Russian acting PM mysteriously ill

Yegor Gaidar regarded as a founder of economic reforms in Russia in the early 90s has been treated in a Moscow hospital after falling ill at a conference in Ireland last week. 

Head of Russia's Energy Monopoly Anatoly Chubais claims the mysterious illness of former acting Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar is linked to the deaths of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, and former Russian security service officer Aleksandr Litvinenko.

Anatoly Chubais says “Gaidar was on the verge of death on Friday, and the deadly triangle of Politkovskaya, Litvinenko and Gaidar, would have been very desirable for some people seeking an unconstitutional and forceful change of power in Russia.”

Chubais has said he does not believe Russian security forces could have been involved in Gaidar's illness.

Associates of Gaidar deny claims he was poisoned by radioactive materials.

“During his speech he felt very bad so couldn’t continue his speech, and he tried to leave his place where he was, but couldn’t. And he was unconscious for three hours and he was transported to the hospital in Dublin and it was a serious threat to his life. He told me that he had a heart attack or something like that. And then the doctors began to say that it was not, that it was something different, so I don’t know whether he himself believes he had been poisoned,” Yegor Gaidar's daughter, Maria, said.