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Angry exchanges at Diana's inquest hearing

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: A preliminary hearing on Tuesday for the inquest into the death of Princess Diana was marked by angry exchanges as lawyers for Mohammed Al-Fayed, owner of Harrods, complained that they had been denied access to crucial documents which formed the basis for the police findings that the car crash in which Diana and her boy friend Dodi Al-Fayed were killed 10 years ago was simply a "tragic accident''.

Mr. Fayed, who insists that the two were victims of a murder plot by the British intelligence agencies and the royal family, dismissed the inquiry by Lord Stevens, a former Metropolitan police chief, as a "white-wash''.

Princess' letter

Among the hundreds of documents that Mr. Fayed's legal team wants to examine includes a letter in which the late Princess reportedly expressed fear for her life. It also wants access to the notes of an interview the police conducted with Prince Charles as part of their inquiry into Diana's death. Tempers ran so high at the High Court here that Coroner Lady Butler-Sloss angrily accused Mr. Fayed's counsel Michael Mansfield, QC, of putting her in the "dock''.

Mr. Mansfield, one of Britain's top lawyers, denied that he was trying to dictate to the court and said he was simply "making submissions''.

Lady Butler-Sloss has already announced that she would step down next month because she lacked the experience needed to conduct an inquest with a jury. Her decision followed a legal victory for Mr. Fayed when he won a High Court ruling that the inquest should be heard before a jury, overturning Lady Butler-Sloss' decision to the contrary. When the inquest opens in October, it will be conducted by Lord Justice Scott Baker, one of Britain's most experienced judges. He will be the third coroner since the inquest began three years ago. The process has been dogged by delays and the dispute over Mr. Fayed's insistence on access to the documents which have been held back from his legal team is likely to delay it further.

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