Al-Fayed to abandon legal fight over Diana "truth" (Roundup)

Apr 8, 2008, 22:19 GMT

London - Egyptian billionaire Mohammed al-Fayed is to give up his decade-long legal fight to prove his allegation that Princess Diana and his son, Dodi, were murdered in a plot engineered by Britain's secret services.

Al-Fayed, 79, told a British TV station Tuesday evening that he had taken his decision for the sake of the sons of Princess Diana, the princes William and Harry.

However, he still believed that Diana and his son were 'murdered' in a plot engineered by the British secret services.

His announcement to end his legal battle came a day after an inquest jury in London ruled that Dodi and Diana were unlawfully killed in a car crash in Paris in August, 1997, due to the 'gross negligence' of their chauffeur, Henri Paul, and photographers pursuing their vehicle.

Al-Fayed said he accepted the verdict of the inquest 'with reservations,' adding: 'Enough is enough.'

His quest to find the 'truth' over the deaths has over the years put severe strain on relations between al-Fayed and Britain's royal family, as well as the wider 'establishment.'

It was due to al-Fayed's relentless efforts that the jury chosen for the inquest was made up of ordinary British citizens, in line with the tycoon's wish that the 'British people' should have the last word on why and how lovers Dodi and Diana died.

'I'm a father who has lost his son and I've done everything for 10 years ... Enough is enough ... for the sake of the two princes, who I know loved their mother,' al-Fayed told ITV news.

'I'm leaving the rest for God to get my revenge. I'm not doing anything any more ... This is the end,' he said.

His decision will come as a relief to the royal family, but also to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who earlier Tuesday called for a 'line to be drawn' under the deaths.

'I think it's time to draw a line,' said Brown. He believed that Diana's sons had spoken for the whole country when they said they accepted the verdict.

The call for closure was echoed by Trevor Rees, the former bodyguard and sole survivor of the Paris crash, who expressed the hope that everyone involved could now 'move on.'

Rees, a one-time employee of the al-Fayeds, suffered horrific injuries in the tunnel crash, with his survival being partly attributed to his wearing a seatbelt - unlike backseat passengers Diana and Dodi.

Prince William, 25, and Prince Harry, 23, said in a statement released in London Monday evening that they agreed with the decision of the jury and were grateful for the 'thorough way' in which evidence was considered.

The sons also expressed their 'most profound gratitude to all those who fought so desperately to save our mother's life on that tragic night.'

Earlier, al-Fayed had said that he was considering further legal options. He criticized that none of the paparazzi gave evidence at the inquest, something the British Justice Ministry says is not possible under existing legal structures.

The jury ruled that driver Henri Paul had been under the influence of drink and drugs and was speeding, but pinned equal blame on the paparazzi who pursued the crash Mercedes.

But Nikolai Arsov, one of the first photographers at the scene of the accident, told the Daily Mail Tuesday that it was wrong to blame the photographers.

'It's just wrong. It was the driver, it was alcohol, it was speed - it wasn't us.'