Paris, March 13 :PRINCESS Diana died after attempts to frighten her into dumping Dodi al Fayed and ending her anti- establishment activities went horribly wrong, a leading lawyer has claimed.
Michael Mansfield claimed he was sure Diana’s “ killers” had no intention of ending her life in a Paris tunnel in August 1997 and simply wanted to scare her.But he claimed the operation to torpedo her relationship with Dodi, and silence her planned criticism of the British government over foreign arms sales, backfired spectacularly.
Mansfield, who represented Dodi’s father Mohamed al Fayed at the 2007 inquest into Diana’s death, said: “ I don’t believe anyone wanted to see her dead.“ I think there was a plan to sabotage the relationship and alter her life, to try to stop her activities.
“ But this plan went very badly and ended with her death.” The radical lawyer has previously claimed Diana’s road crash death was no accident. He outlined his views in memoirs published last year on his colourful 40- year career.His latest comments on the tragedy were made during a trip to Barcelona.
A jury concluded Diana had been unlawfully killed in April 2008 after a six- month inquest at the Royal Courts of Justice. It blamed the grossly negligent driving of her chauffeur Henri Paul and chasing paparazzi photographers.
Mohamed al Fayed, who told the inquest Diana was murdered in a conspiracy involving Tony Blair, MI5, MI6 and the British ambassador to France, has always refused to accept the verdict.
In an interview with Catalan daily El Periodico published on Friday, Mansfield said British authorities opposed several aspects of Diana’s private and public life.
He said: “ I believe the relationship between Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed displeased the authorities.
Daily Mail