Nexus - 0801 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

deBriefings MI6 AND THE PRINCESS OF WALES by Richard Tomlinson © 1999 elow is a sworn and testified statement that I have made on B 12 May 1999 to the enquiry into the deaths of the Princess of Wales, Dodi Al Fayed and Henri Paul. I firmly believe that MI6 have information in their files that would assist Judge Stephan's enquiry. Why don't they yield up this information? They should not be entitled to use the Official Secrets Act to protect themselves from investigation into the deaths of three people, particularly in the case of an incident of this magnitude and historical importance. MI6 AND THE PRINCESS OF WALES he seemed to have extremely good access to the goings on in the by Richard Tomlinson © 1999 Ritz Hotel. I therefore ordered this informant's personal file from elow is a sworn and testified statement that I have made on MI6's central file registry. When I read this new file, I was not at B 12 May 1999 to the enquiry into the deaths of the Princess _ all surprised to learn that the informant was a security officer of of Wales, Dodi Al Fayed and Henri Paul. the Ritz Hotel. Intelligence services always target the security I firmly believe that MI6 have information in their files that officers of important hotels because they have such good access to would assist Judge Stephan's enquiry. Why don't they yield up intelligence. I remember, however, being mildly surprised that this information? They should not be entitled to use the Official the nationality of this informant was French, and this stuck in my Secrets Act to protect themselves from investigation into the memory because it is rare that MI6 succeeds in recruiting a deaths of three people, particularly in the case of an incident of French informer. this magnitude and historical importance. I cannot claim that I remember from this reading of the file that the name of this person was Henri Paul, but I have no doubt with the benefit of hindsight that this was he. Although I did not sub- I, Richard John Charles Tomlinson, for- sequently come across Henri Paul again dur- mer MI6 officer, of Geneva, Switzerland, ing my time in MI6, I am confident that the hereby declare: relationship between him and MI6 would have continued until his death, because MI6 1. hemly velieve erat ner ps ocu. | was not at all would never willingly relinguish control ments held by the British Secret Intelligence . over such a well-placed informant. Service (MI6) that would yield important surprised to learn that I am sure that the personal file of Henri new evidence into the cause and circum: the informant was a ra wll therefore contain notes o meetings stances leading to the deaths of the Princess 4 Fi etween him and his controlling officer, of Wales, Mr Dodi Al Fayed, and M. Henri security officer of right up until the point of his death. I firmly Paul in Paris in August 1997. the Ritz Hotel. believe that these files will contain evidence of crucial importance to the circumstances 2. Iwas employed by MI6 between . . and causes of the incident that killed M. Paul September 1991 and April 1995. During Intelligence services together with the Princess of Wales and that time, I saw various documents that I believe would provide new evidence and new leads into the investigation into these deaths. I also heard various rumours which—though I was not able to see supporting documents—I am confident were based on solid fact. always target the Dodi Al Fayed. security officers of important hotels because they have such good access to intelligence. 4. The most senior undeclared offi- cer in the local MI6 station would nor- mally control an informant of M. Paul's usefulness and seniority. Officers declared to the local counterintelli- gence service (in this case, the Directorate de Surveillance Territoire, or DST) would not be used to control such an informant, because it might lead to the identity of the informant becoming known to the local intelli- 3. In 1992, I was working in the Eastern European Controllerate of MI6 and I was peripherally involved in a large and complicated operation to smuggle advanced Soviet weaponry out of the then disintegrating and disorgan- gence services. ised remnants of the Soviet Union. In Paris at the time of M. Paul's During 1992, I spent several days reading the substantial files on death, there were two relatively experienced but undeclared MI6 this operation. These files contain a wide miscellany of contact officers. The first was Mr Nicholas John Andrew LANGMAN, notes, telegrams, intelligence reports, photographs, etc., from born 1960. The second was Mr Richard David SPEARMAN, which it was possible to build up a detailed understanding of the again born in 1960. I firmly believe that either one or both of operation. The operation involved a large cast of officers and these officers will be well acquainted with M. Paul, and most agents of MI6. probably also met M. Paul shortly before his death. I believe that One more than one occasion, meetings between various figures either or both of these officers will have knowledge that will be of in the operation took place at the Ritz Hotel, Place de Vendéme, crucial importance in establishing the sequence of events leading Paris. There were in the file several intelligence reports on these up to the deaths of M. Paul, Dodi Al Fayed and the Princess of meetings, which had been written by one of the MI6 officers Wales. based in Paris at the time (identified in the file only by a coded Mr Spearman in particular was an extremely well connected designation). The source of the information was an informant in and influential officer because he had been, prior to his appoint- the Ritz Hotel, who again was identified in the files only by a ment in Paris, the personal secretary to the Chief of MI6, Mr code number. The MI6 officer paid the informant in cash for his David SPEDDING. As such, he would have been privy to even information. the most confidential of MI6 operations. I believe that there may I became curious to learn more about the identity of this partic- well be significance in the fact that Mr Spearman was posted to ular informant, because his number cropped up several times and Paris in the month immediately before the deaths. surprised to learn that the informant was a security officer of the Ritz Hotel. always target the security officers of important hotels eaten 2 a ear — because they have such good access to intelligence. NEXUS © 11 | was not at all Intelligence services DECEMBER 2000 — JANUARY 2001