MI6 agent claims 'no files kept on Princess Diana'
Tuesday, 26 Feb 2008 20:38
No MI6 files were kept on Princess Diana
An MI6 agent has told the inquest into the death of Princess Diana that no evidence was being held on the princess or her partner Dodi Al Fayed.
The officer, known only as Miss X, told the High Court today that her search of messages between MI6 headquarters and its Paris station in 1997 had brought up no reference of the Princess of Wales or Mr Al Fayed.
Miss X was asked to search through the files as part of former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Steven's investigations into the car crash that killed the couple in August 1997, code-named Operation Paget.
In a search of 887 telegrams, nothing of interest was discovered, Miss X said.
She did allege that the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, kept a card on Mr Al Fayed's father, the Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, but no more than that.
Asked by Ian Burnett QC, the counsel for the corner, if there was any information on Diana or Dodi she replied: "No, there were no cards."
When asked again to confirm that there were no cards or files on either of the couple, Miss X said: "No, absolutely correct."
Mohamed Al Fayed has claimed that the British secret services plotted to murder his son and Diana.
Mr Burnett later asked Miss X: "If, for sake of argument, there had been any plan at all involving Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Al Fayed, would that have been thrown up by your searches?"
She replied: "Yes it would." Mr Burnett then asked: "Do you thus conclude that there was none?"
"There was absolutely no plan whatsoever," Miss X replied.
Asked if there was guidance on when the use of force or threat of force would be acceptable by MI6, Miss X said: "We do not go around killing people. It is simply not the done thing.
The inquest continues.