Mohamed Fayed accused Lord Stevens of being blackmailed by the Establishment
One of the closest friends of Diana, Princess of Wales last night appealed in vain for Mohamed Fayed to end his public campaign to try to prove that the British Secret Service was behind the death of his son Dodi and the princess.
But within minutes of the plea by Rosa Monckton for an end to the "disgusting" allegations, Mr Fayed publicly repudiated the report by Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, even before its publication later today.
He accused Lord Stevens of being blackmailed by the British Establishment and claimed that the theft of a laptop computer from the former policeman's office six months ago had been organised by secret service agents.
The revelation that Mr Fayed plans to fight on will cause despair at Clarence House as the Prince of Wales and his sons William and Harry had hoped the report by Lord Stevens would bring an end to speculation over the death of the princess.
The report will conclude that the crash was an accident caused by the driver Henri Paul being three times over the French drink-drive limit, that he was driving too fast, and lost control of the car. It is also expected to criticise paparazzi photgraphers, who were in pursuit of the car, for their role in the crash in the Pont de l'Alma underpass.
Miss Monckton holidayed with the princess 10 days before the crash and, in evidence to the Stevens inquiry, rejected the assertion by Mr Fayed that the princess was pregnant with Dodi's child and that they had secretly become engaged. She told Lord Stevens that the princess's period had started when they were on holiday together so pregnancy was impossible.
"I fully expect the report to clear up once and for all that it was not a conspiracy but an accident. All one can hope for is that Mr Fayed abides by the findings and stops all this talk of conspiracies," Miss Monckton said last night.
She described the claims by the Harrods owner as "disgusting" and said they had deeply distressed William and Harry. "Clearly it was an appalling tragedy for him [Mr Fayed] and he lost his son, but Mr Fayed also has to remember that these boys lost their mother."
In an interview with the US NBC's Today programme, Mr Fayed said that there was "no way" he would accept the conclusion of the inquiry that the crash was an accident.
"It's shocking," he said. "It's completely outrageous that a leading Scotland Yard officer can come up with such an unbelievable judgment. He has been definitely blackmailed to say exactly what the British intelligence want him to say."
Mr Fayed claimed that six months ago British intelligence agents stole a laptop from the office of Lord Stevens. "I am sure they found something very devastating for him, and use what they have, the information, to blackmail him, to make him like a dog, say exactly what they want him to say," he said.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said at the time of the theft that the computer did not contain any sensitive information.
It is expected that today's report will confirm that the princess was being bugged by US intelligence the night she died, but America's National Security Agency has denied targeting her. "I am certain that the American intelligence have helped in supplying the British intelligence with all the information and all the listening on their mobile phones," Mr Fayed said.
Prince Charles and William and Harry have been briefed on the report and Mr Fayed's office will be given the same facility this morning.
Clarence House has yet to decide whether there will be any statement from the Prince.
William is preparing for his trooping out ceremony at Sandhurst tomorrow which will be attended by the Queen, Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall
Anyone with the merest shred of a braincell knows that Diana was murdered at the wish of Prince Phillip. Nice to know they won't shut-up Fayed though.
While they "claim" that Prince William doesn't agree with the death conspiracies I'm doubtful of that. We will have to see what he does when he eventually becomes King.
