Atom Scientist’s Spying Defence

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30178, 9 July 1963, Page 7

Atom Scientist’s Spying Defence

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, July 5 The Italian nuclear scientist, Dr. Guiseppe Martelh. said he had tried to “play along” with Soviet intelligence men as an absentminded scientist.

Martelli told the Court trying him on spy charges that he had known Nikolai Karpekov, a Russian intelligence man, for more than six years Karpekov was First Secretary at the Soviet Embassy in London He said he tried to "play along” as an absent-minded scientist to find out what the Russians wanted. The prosecution has already agreed there ik no evidence that Martelli passed information. But when arrested in April, he was in possession of “all the paraphenalia" for spying. Martelli, a Euratom research scientist on loan to the British atomic energy authorities, told the Court he had no Communist sympathies.

He agreed that his sister was a Communist, that his wife grew up and was educated in Russia, and that he himself spoke Russian.

He said that ever since he found that he was “cultivated” by the Russians he had made a point of keeping away from jobs which would have given him secret information.

For that reason he had rejected atomic research offers from both the United States and France. When he became estranged from his wife in Italy and went to live with a Britisih woman scientist th-e Russian agents brought his family troubles into the meetings he bad with them, he said. His legal wife meantime had visited Russia and afterwards wanted to settle there with their children. The Russians said they were being pressed to grant a visa to the Martelli family, suggesting that he too, might find it better in Moscow—with a better job and more money.

Summing up his basic attitude to the Russian approaches. MarteHi said: “The right course was to gain time, to play along and find out what they wanted, to see whet their aim was." Martelli told of a secret meeting near London with Karpekov and another Russian called Alexander. Alexander had said it would be very bad if his children in Italy were to learn that the English woman with whom he was living was expecting a baby. Martelli was advised to think over the matter.

“I realised It was an attempt to apply pressure on me of some sort," he said