Diana Inquest: The French Cover-Up Paperback - 2010

Diana Inquest: The French Cover-Up is the gripping story of how a culture of corruption and cover-up was endemic throughout the investigation into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed. This is the third volume of a four-part series on the 2008 inquest into the 1997 deaths in Paris. It tracks the French investigation right from the initial minutes after the crash inside the Alma Tunnel through to the conclusion of the investigation by Judge Stephan two years later, in September 1999. The culture of cover-up that surrounded the early investigations into the crash is revealed in striking detail - for example, the thorough cleansing of the crash scene within several hours of the crash. The French Cover-Up includes explosive new evidence and documents from within the British police investigation - evidence that has never previously been revealed to the British or international public. Using witness and documentary evidence - including what was heard during the 2008 inquest into the deaths - this volume also reveals that Henri Paul, the driver of the Mercedes S280, was not drunk. A thorough analysis of the evidence shows very clearly that the driver's autopsy test results were actually taken from blood samples that belonged to a different body. Diana Inquest opens up the reader's understanding to the incredible lengths that the French authorities went to - to frame a dead, defenceless, sober and innocent driver for the deaths of Diana and Dodi, within hours of the crash occurring. This book reveals the major difficulties faced by the inquest jury - showing how substantial portions of the most critical witness and documentary evidence were withheld from their eyes and ears. When it comes to the autopsies of Henri Paul, not only did the jury not hear from the two most important witnesses - Professor Dominique Lecomte (who conducted the first autopsy) and Dr Gilbert Pepin (who conducted the blood testing) - but also their police statements were not read out, even though inquest coroner Scott Baker had them in his possession. It is from this impossible position that the jury were expected to make meaningful deliberations to arrive at an informed verdict. Diana Inquest shows that the culture of corruption and cover-up did not just relate to the French investigation, but carried through to the British Paget inquiry and finally also to the conduct of the 2008 British inquest. This eventually resulted in a seriously flawed verdict in one of the most important jury inquests of our modern era.