Al Fayed lawyers call for all Diana documents

By MICHAEL SEAMARK

Last updated at 15:57 21 March 2007


Mohamed al Fayed is demanding to see every scrap of paper surrounding police interviews with Prince Charles over the death of Diana.

He was quizzed by detectives over the princess's claims that Charles planned to eliminate her to clear the way for him to re-marry.

The Stevens report into her death revealed that the Prince of Wales said he had no knowledge of Diana's sensational claims - but his full statement was not published in the 832-page document.

Lawyers for the Harrods tycoon yesterday(wed) told coroner Baroness Butler-Sloss they wanted access to all documentation regarding police contact with the heir to the throne.

Michael Mansfield QC, said: "There doesn't appear to be a statement, there doesn't appear to be any interview notes, there doesn't appear to be any records."

Mr al Fayed insists Diana and his son Dodi were murdered in an establishment

conspiracy 'masterminded' by Prince Philip and carried out by MI6.

The Stevens report published last December dismissed the claims and said the couple died in a Paris underpass in 1997 because driver Henri Paul was drunk and travelling to fast behind the wheel of their Mercedes limousine.

At an earlier hearing the coroner said she had not been given a "shred of evidence" to back up the astonishing allegations - including claims that Diana was pregnant with Dodi's child.

But Mr Mansfield said he couldn't specify the allegations until his legal team had gained access to all material underlying the Stevens report.

This included seeing "all statements, pre-statement notes, interview notes," even messages, memos and correspondence.

He specifically wants to see:

• The original Paul Burrell letter in which Diana said: "This particular phase of my life is the most dangerous - my husband is planning 'an accident' in my car, brake failure and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry."

• A note of a meeting with Diana made by her lawyer, the late Lord Mishcon, at which she claimed both herself and Camilla Parker Bowles were to be 'put aside' to enable Charles to marry former royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke.

• All material relevant to the 'Crown Jewels' - letters from Prince Philip to Diana found in a mahogany box, which also contained a signet ring from James Hewitt and a so-called 'rape tape' on which the Princess recorded explosive allegations by former royal servant George Smith that he was raped by a royal aide.

Mr Mansfield said the possibility of there being undisclosed notes from police interviews with Prince Charles was "just the tip of the iceberg".

In written submissions to the coroner the lawyer stressed the need for "openness, fairness and transparency' at inquest" to allay public fears and restore public confidence in procedures.

Lady Butler-Sloss, who has already had her decision to sit without a jury overturned after a successfull legal appeal by Mr al Fayed, has also had to postpone the start of the full inquest until October.

She is expected to rule on Mr Mansfield's claims for sight of the Prince Charles documents and other materials at a later date.

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