MOHAMMED AL FAYED - AL FAYED WINS JURY BATTLE FOR DIANA INQUEST

AL FAYED WINS JURY BATTLE FOR DIANA INQUEST

MOHAMED AL FAYED, the father of DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES' late boyfriend DODI FAYED, has won a High Court battle to have a jury take part in the inquest into the pair's death. Egyptian tycoon Al Fayed believes the pair's death in an August 1997 Paris car crash was murder and not an accident as has been ruled in previous investigations. Al Fayed sought to overturn a ruling by the deputy royal coroner, Judge DAME ELIZABETH BUTLER-SLOSS, to handle the official inquiry as an individual. Speaking outside the High Court in London today (02MAR07), he said, "We want to be sure that the jury are an independent jury." Appeal court Judge JANET SMITH explained, "Mr Al Fayed has alleged that the DUKE OF EDINBURGH (PRINCE PHILIP) and the Security Services conspired to kill the Princess and Dodi Al Fayed. The allegation must be inquired into." Last year (06), the British capital's Metropolitan Police concluded a three-year investigation into the Princess' death, reaching the conclusion it was a tragic accident. Her sons PRINCES WILLIAM and HARRY are keen for the new investigation to end as soon as possible and have long agreed with the police conclusion that their mother's death was an accident.