Where do the magistrates lay the blame for the accident?
The blame has been laid very firmly on the shoulders of Henri Paul, the driver, who was found to have excessive amounts of alcohol and traces of anti-depressants in his blood. The report finds Dodi Fayed responsible for asking Henri Paul to drive but said he could not be reproached for that. In other words, he was not to know that Henri Paul had been drinking. Henri Paul was also accused of driving with excessive speed – up to 100mph. His car clipped a Fiat Uno and lost control. The report finds that he was the principal person to blame. What about the Fiat Uno mentioned? The white Fiat Uno has never been traced. It remains a mystery what happened to it. Mohamed al-Fayed promised to appeal if no charges were brought. Will he do this? Yes. All relevant parties have 10 days to appeal the decision not to bring charges. Mohamed al-Fayed’s representative in London and his lawyer in Paris have made it clear that they will be appealing. This process could take several months – if not a year.
