'MI6 in Paris' when Diana killed
An MI6 team was at the UK's embassy in Paris at the time of Princess
Diana's
death, the former ambassador has said.
Lord Jay told the inquest into her death he did not think it had anything
to
do with the car crash in which she died.
Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi also died, believes MI6 was
behind a plot to kill the princess.
Next week Mr Al Fayed and former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove will
give
evidence.
Intelligence service
Mr Al Fayed's lawyer Stuart Benson told the jury he was "pretty sure" the
couple had got engaged days before the crash.
Lord Jay - known at the time of the crash on 31 August 1997 as Sir Michael
Jay - told the High Court he had not even known Diana had been in Paris
until he had been woken up with news of the crash.
He confirmed to Ian Burnett, counsel to the inquest, that the Secret
Intelligence Service - better known as MI6 - and security service MI5 had
been present at the embassy.
"It's to liaise with the French authorities on issues such as counter
terrorism, anti-drugs work, security issues and to share intelligence on
matters of foreign policy," he told the hearing.
Lord Jay said if MI6 had been involved in a major operation in Paris he
would have expected to have been told.
He had not been aware of anything significant going on, he added.
Lord Jay said there was no truth in the allegation that he had ordered the
princess's body to be embalmed because MI5 had wanted to cover-up that she
had been pregnant by Dodi Al Fayed.
He also said the Queen's private secretary, Lord Fellowes, who it has been
claimed was at the embassy to organise the murder of the princess, had not
been in Paris at the time.
'Tone of voice'
Earlier, Mr Benson said he had received a brief call from Dodi Al Fayed
who
had spoken of "very exciting news" to share later.
Mr Benson added the princess had not been named in the call as Dodi had
feared his calls were being bugged.
But his "tone of voice" had indicated he had been referring to the
princess
in the call from onboard the Al Fayeds' luxury yacht, he said.
"It was singularly short and pretty much the exact words [were], 'Can't
really talk over the phone, but my friend and I have very exciting news'.
"'Are you around on Monday to have lunch as it will mean lots of issues to
talk about and discuss?'"
Mr Benson, a former legal advisor to Mohamed Al Fayed, said he had assumed
this had referred to an engagement, because of the "tone of voice and
voice
used".
"It was clearly not a business discussion. It was something he felt he
could
not talk about on the phone - that was my reaction to what he said," he
said.
The inquest was adjourned until Tuesday.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7239072.stm
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