The investigation into the death of Britain’s Princess Diana has cost the British taxpayers in excess of UKP6 million.
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Lord Justice Scott Baker, the coroner at her inquest at London’s High Court, said bills for the public hearing have topped UKP2.4 million. The latest sum is on top of the UKP3.6 million cost of the three-year investigation into the 1997 Paris car crash carried out by the Metropolitan Police.
The inquest figures published on the coroner’s website revealed more than UKP187,000 was run up by coroners before June last year, while UKP2,229,371.54 has been spent in the last seven months.
The biggest cost was lawyers, with more than UKP1 million going on “external legal services” and more than UKP176,000 going on staff. The inquest’s IT costs came to more than UKP240,000 and because of witnesses giving evidence from France, the US and Nigeria, the video conferencing and ‘special visits’ bill amounted to almost UKP370,000.
Consultants cost nearly UKP88,000, while running costs came to more than UKP260,000. On top of this, Mohamed Al Fayed – whose son Dodi was also killed in the crash – is paying for three separate legal teams at the inquest.
As well as representing himself at the proceedings, he has hired lawyers for his Paris Ritz Hotel and is also funding a separate legal team for the family of Henri Paul, the driver who was also killed in the crash.
Al Fayed – who has long campaigned for the inquest – believes Diana and Dodi were murdered by the British establishment because they were about to announce their engagement and Diana was pregnant.
