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The Operation Paget Inquiry Report Into the Allegation of Conspiracy to Murder

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The Operation Paget Inquiry Report Into the Allegation of Conspiracy to Murder The Operation Paget inquiry report into the allegation of conspiracy to murder Diana, Princess of Wales and Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed Report INDEX Introduction Chapter One Relationship / Engagement / Pregnancy Chapter Two Perceived Threats To The Princess Of Wales Chapter Three Actions Of The Paparazzi In Paris Chapter Four Henri Paul - Ritz Security Officer And Driver Of The Mercedes Car Chapter Five CCTV / Traffic Cameras In Paris Chapter Six Mercedes Car Chapter Seven Blocking Vehicles / Unidentified Vehicles / Bright Flashes (The Journey To The Alma Underpass) Chapter Eight Post-Crash Medical Treatment Of The Princess Of Wales Chapter Nine The Embalming Of The Body Of The Princess Of Wales At The Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital Chapter Ten Actions Of The French Authorities Chapter Eleven Actions Of The Foreign & Commonwealth Office / British Embassy, Paris Chapter Twelve British Authorities’ Actions With Regard To ‘Suspicious Deaths’ Chapter Thirteen Bodyguards Of Mohamed Al Fayed (Trevor Rees-Jones, Kieran Wingfield And Reuben Murrell) Chapter Fourteen ‘James’ Andanson – French Photojournalist And Owner Of A White Fiat Uno Chapter Fifteen Central Intelligence Agency / National Security Agency, USA Chapter Sixteen The Secret Intelligence Service And The Security Service INTRODUCTION This police report documents the findings of the criminal investigation into an allegation made by Mohamed Al Fayed of conspiracy to murder the Princess of Wales and his son Dodi Al Fayed. The Coroner of the Queen’s Household and H.M. Coroner for Surrey, Michael Burgess, also requested this investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to help him decide whether such matters would fall within the scope of the investigation carried out at the inquests. (Coroner’s remarks at the opening of the inquests, 6 January 2004.) The opening of the inquests had been delayed until then because of ongoing legal proceedings in France. A further report (commonly referred to as the ‘Coroner’s report’) will be prepared by police specifically for the inquest process. An inquest is an inquiry intended to produce a formal answer to four questions: (i) Who the deceased was. (ii) When he/she came by his/her death. (iii) Where he/she came by his/her death. (iv) How he/she came by his/her death. The police crime investigation will, as is usual practice, remain open until the conclusion of any inquest or other judicial process. Operation Paget will take account of evidence given at, or provided in connection with, any hearing. Background On Saturday 30 August 1997, the Princess of Wales arrived in Paris with Emad El- Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed (Dodi Al Fayed), the son of Mohamed Al Fayed. They had stopped there en route to London, having spent the preceding nine days together on board Mohamed Al Fayed’s yacht, the ‘Jonikal’, on the French and Italian Riviera. They had intended to stay overnight. Mohamed Al Fayed was and is the owner of the Ritz Hotel in Place Vendôme, Paris. He also owned an apartment in rue Arsène Houssaye, a short distance from the hotel and located just off the avenue des Champs-Elysées. At around 12.20am on Sunday 31 August 1997, the Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed left the Ritz Hotel to return to the apartment in rue Arsène Houssaye. They were the rear passengers in a Mercedes S280 car driven by Henri Paul, the Acting Head of Security at the Ritz Hotel. Trevor Rees-Jones, Dodi Al Fayed’s bodyguard, was in the front passenger seat. Page 1 INTRODUCTION They left from the rear of the hotel, the rue Cambon exit. After crossing the Place de la Concorde they drove along Cours la Reine and Cours Albert 1er (the embankment road running parallel to the River Seine) into the Place de l’Alma underpass. The Mercedes collided with the thirteenth central pillar in the underpass. Dodi Al Fayed and Henri Paul died at the scene. Both were taken directly to the Institut Médico-Légal (IML), the Paris mortuary, not to a hospital. The Princess of Wales, who was seriously injured but still alive after the impact, was taken by the emergency services to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. Trevor Rees-Jones survived the impact with very serious injuries. He also was taken to the same hospital as the Princess of Wales for emergency treatment. At around 4am, following emergency surgery, the Princess of Wales died. None of the occupants of the car was wearing a seat belt at the time of the impact. The Investigation by the French Authorities The French authorities carried out an investigation into the crash within their own legal and investigative framework. An official of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Department went to the scene of the crash to take control of the initial investigation. This is not uncommon in France. She tasked the Brigade Criminelle section of the Paris Police with the immediate investigation. Seven ‘paparazzi’ present at the scene were arrested. The Public Prosecutor’s Department asked, on Tuesday 2 September 1997, for these paparazzi to be investigated for failure to render assistance to persons in danger (a specific imprisonable offence in France) and for ‘unnamed persons’ to be investigated for involuntary manslaughter and injury. ‘Unnamed persons’ is a term used in France when an investigation is opened with no specific, named suspects. On 4 September 1997 another three paparazzi reported to the Brigade Criminelle. They were investigated for the same offences. Following the Public Prosecutor’s request for an investigation, an Examining Magistrate, Judge Hervé Stéphan, was appointed to the case. The complexity of the case led to a second Examining Magistrate, Marie-Christine Devidal, being appointed to assist. Under the system of criminal justice in France, Hervé Stéphan was responsible for the direction of the investigation and his authority was needed for any action to be taken. This ‘inquisitorial’ system differs from the ‘adversarial’ system of criminal justice in this country where the police are, in the main, responsible for directing and carrying out a criminal investigation. Judge Stéphan’s investigation ‘attempted to define as fully as possible the sequence of events with a view to determining, at its conclusion, the legal ramifications of any possible liability.’ He concluded that there was insufficient evidence against the paparazzi photographers in respect of the offences then being investigated of involuntary manslaughter, injury causing a total incapacity for work in excess of three months and failing to render assistance to persons in danger. Page 2 INTRODUCTION He further concluded there was insufficient evidence against any person for the offences of involuntary manslaughter, injury causing a total incapacity for work in excess of three months or for endangering the life of another. Finally he stated that the offences investigated were not covered under any other (French) criminal legislation. He circulated these conclusions in a ‘Notice of Dismissal’ dated 3 September 1999. A number of legal challenges to the investigation and its conclusions were instigated in France. Some of these continue to this day. Response of the United Kingdom Authorities The crash and the three resulting deaths had occurred in France. It was therefore a matter for the French authorities to investigate, even though two of those who died were not French citzens. From the outset, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) acted in a liaison role with the French authorities on behalf of the respective Coroners in England who would be holding inquests into the deaths. Any enquiries carried out by police in the United Kingdom were solely on behalf of the French investigating authorities. Dr John Burton, Coroner of the Queen’s Household, assumed responsibility for the body of the Princess of Wales. Michael Burgess, H.M. Coroner for Surrey (and then Deputy Coroner of the Queen’s Household) assumed responsibility for the body of Dodi Al Fayed, as he would be laid to rest in the County of Surrey. As a result of ill health Dr Burton retired in 2002 and Michael Burgess took over the role of Coroner of the Queen’s Household whilst retaining his role as H.M. Coroner for Surrey. In July 2003, solicitors acting on behalf of Mohamed Al Fayed wrote to Michael Burgess. They stated that the criminal proceedings over which Judge Hervé Stéphan presided had now concluded, following decisions in the Appeal Court in Paris in April 2003. They urged Michael Burgess on behalf of their client to open the inquests and to ensure that in respect of Dodi Al Fayed ‘there is a proper investigation into his death.’ The letter contained details of the different strands within the allegation made by Mohamed Al Fayed to support his view that the crash was not an accident but murder and that this murder was the result of a conspiracy by the ‘Establishment’ and particularly HRH Prince Philip, who used the ‘Security Services’ to carry it out. Michael Burgess informed the MPS of this correspondence and the associated allegation and supporting claims. The MPS was continuing to act as liaison with the French authorities. The MPS considered the status of this allegation in the United Kingdom and its possible effect on the French investigation and conclusions. The French authorities were informed of the detail of the allegation and their view was sought as to whether they wished to deal with the allegation. They declined to re-open their investigation into the events of the crash. Page 3 INTRODUCTION On 6 January 2004, Michael Burgess officially opened the Inquests into the deaths of the Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed. He stated: ‘I am aware that there is speculation that these deaths were not the result of a sad, but relatively straight forward, road traffic accident in Paris.
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