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CNN Live Today
Royal Inquest
Aired December 18, 2003 - 10:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now to overseas, where Britain's royal coroner says that an official inquest will be open next month into the deaths of Princess and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed.
Our Matthew Chance joins us. He live in London with more about this development, some six years after the fact.
Hello.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, hello to you.
And it has been a long time, hasn't it, since 1997 when that car crash in Paris left Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed dead. The reason the British government, the British authorities, say it's been so long before they ordered the inquest, is because there was a very intensive French investigation under way. And they say they didn't want to jeopardize the findings of that report before it came out. That French investigation is now concluded, so they are proceeding with this coroner's inquest right now.
The timing, though, is very important, because coincidentally, perhaps, in the Scottish courts, Mohammed Al Fayed, the billionaire Egyptian businessman, who is also, of course, the father of Dodi Fayed, is launching or has already launched, in fact, a separate legal bid for a much broader, fuller, public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding this car crash. Mohammed Al Fayed, of course, believes that the two -- the couple were murdered by the British intelligence services. So this may be in some way to offset public calls such as they are for a much broader inquiry.
KAGAN: But, Matthew, this explanation that they were waiting for the French to finish their inquiry sounds a little bit fishy. Could it actually have more to do with what has come out over all the royal scandals over the last couple of years, including all the scandals around Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell.
CHANCE: Possibly, certainly that's what the lawyers of Mohammed Al Fayed are saying, they are saying it's because of that, and also, it's because of a sort of delaying tactic that they say the British authorities have been employing when it comes to investigating any aspect of this crash. That's why Mohamed Al Fayed says even though this inquiry is going to go ahead, it won't deter him from his legal battle to try to get a much broader public inquiry there.
KAGAN: Matthew Chance in London. Matthew, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 18, 2003 - 10:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now to overseas, where Britain's royal coroner says that an official inquest will be open next month into the deaths of Princess and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed.
Our Matthew Chance joins us. He live in London with more about this development, some six years after the fact.
Hello.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, hello to you.
And it has been a long time, hasn't it, since 1997 when that car crash in Paris left Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed dead. The reason the British government, the British authorities, say it's been so long before they ordered the inquest, is because there was a very intensive French investigation under way. And they say they didn't want to jeopardize the findings of that report before it came out. That French investigation is now concluded, so they are proceeding with this coroner's inquest right now.
The timing, though, is very important, because coincidentally, perhaps, in the Scottish courts, Mohammed Al Fayed, the billionaire Egyptian businessman, who is also, of course, the father of Dodi Fayed, is launching or has already launched, in fact, a separate legal bid for a much broader, fuller, public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding this car crash. Mohammed Al Fayed, of course, believes that the two -- the couple were murdered by the British intelligence services. So this may be in some way to offset public calls such as they are for a much broader inquiry.
KAGAN: But, Matthew, this explanation that they were waiting for the French to finish their inquiry sounds a little bit fishy. Could it actually have more to do with what has come out over all the royal scandals over the last couple of years, including all the scandals around Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell.
CHANCE: Possibly, certainly that's what the lawyers of Mohammed Al Fayed are saying, they are saying it's because of that, and also, it's because of a sort of delaying tactic that they say the British authorities have been employing when it comes to investigating any aspect of this crash. That's why Mohamed Al Fayed says even though this inquiry is going to go ahead, it won't deter him from his legal battle to try to get a much broader public inquiry there.
KAGAN: Matthew Chance in London. Matthew, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
