SAS link to Princess Diana's death

SCOTLAND Yard is examining sensational claims that Princess Diana was murdered 16 years ago by someone connected to the SAS, it was reported last night.

By: James Murray and Phil Dampier
Police-are-probing-new-claims-that-the-Armed-Forces-were-involved-in-the-murder-of-Princess-DianaPolice are probing new claims that the Armed Forces were involved in the 'murder' of Princess Diana
It is understood the Yard received confidential information from the Royal Military Police. It is thought to have come from the parents-in-law of a former soldier and makes reference to Princess Diana’s secret diary.
Detectives have spoken to the estranged wife of the former soldier to ask her what, if anything, she knew about the allegations. Scotland Yard says the information is being assessed but at this stage there is no evidence available to reopen its investigation into the death of the Princess at the age of 36.
Last night the Yard said: “The Metropolitan Police Service is scoping information that has recently been received in relation to the deaths and assessing its relevance and credibility. The assessment will be carried out by officers from the Specialist Crime And Operations command. This is not a reinvestigation and does not come under Operation Paget [the 2004 Met inquiry].”
Sky’s respected crime correspondent Martin Brunt said the details were being considered by a senior Scotland Yard detective who was a junior officer in the original police investigation. Diana’s bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was seriously injured in the crash that killed her. He was in the Parachute Regiment and there are claims that he had also served in the Royal Military Police, which were denied.
Mr Brunt said: “It is not clear exactly what this information is but we understand that it points to an allegation that Diana and those in the car with her were murdered.
“Scotland Yard has confirmed that it has received this information in the past few days and has begun what it calls a scoping exercise, to assess the information to assess its credibility.
“These are very early days, the information has just come in, and Scotland Yard is adamant in saying that this is not a reopening of its investigation from 2004 when it spent three years looking into the circumstances of the Princess’s death.
“But it is taking the information seriously and it is considering it, and it is possible that a new investigation may open.”
Mr Brunt told viewers that the claims centred on allegations that the SAS was involved in “some way”. He said at 6pm yesterday that he understood the information involved an allegation that “Diana was killed by a member of the British Military”. The information also involves the SAS and makes references to “Diana’s diary” which she was said to have kept secret and included several allegations.
Former Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi died with Diana, was said last night to be “watching with interest” the developing story.
diana, death, sas, murder, probe, scotland yard, police, princess of wales, crash, dodi al fayed, car, parisThe remains of the Mercedes in the Paris tunnel after the crash which killed the Princess of Wales
Scotland Yard is adamant in saying that this is not a reopening of its investigation from 2004 when it spent three years looking into the circumstances of the Princess’s death
Martin Brunt, Sky crime correspondent
Police said the deaths of Diana and her friend Dodi were “thoroughly investigated” and examined at an inquest led by Lord Justice Scott Baker at the Royal Court of Justice in 2007-2008.
On April 7, 2008 the jury concluded its verdict as “unlawful killing, grossly negligent driving of the following vehicles and of the Mercedes”, the Met said.
Princess Diana was fatally injured in the crash on August 31, 1997 in the Pont de l’Alma road tunnel in ­central Paris. The initial French judicial investigation concluded that it was caused by driver Henri Paul being drunk and not in full control of the vehicle.
In 1998, however, Mohamed Al Fayed, owner of the Paris Ritz where Mr Paul worked, said Diana was murdered by British security agencies at the bequest of members of the RoyalFamily, including Prince Philip. An inquest in London held between 2004 and 2008 attributed the accident to the grossly negligent driving of Mr Paul and to chasing photographers, returning a verdict of “unlawful killing”.
In his summing up, Lord Justice Scott Baker concluded that there was “not a shred of evidence” to support the conspiracy theories.
Last night Dai Davies, former head of Royal Protection, told the Sunday Express: “This is a very interesting development but I would wager my pension that it will not produce any strong leads or major developments.
“The tragedy has been extremely well investigated, everything has been explored. One of the big mysteries is what happened to the white Fiat car seen near the Mercedes driven by Mr Paul.
“The police have traced more than 4,000 white Fiats but did not find the car. If the development relates to that Fiat it would be very interesting.”
Diana’s former Scotland Yard bodyguard Ken Wharfe said last night: “The Yard must investigate this new evidence wherever it has come from. They can’t just dismiss it. Here we are coming up to another anniversary of her death and we are still talking about it.”
A royal spokeswoman said there would be no comment from Prince William, Prince Harry or Clarence House.

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