The former head of Britain's overseas intelligence service MI6 Wednesday rejected as "ridiculous" and "absurd" allegations that Princess Diana and Dodi al Fayed were murdered in an elaborate plot engineered by the secret service, according to dpa. Richard Dearlove, who was at MI6 from 1996 to 2004, gave evidence at the inquest into the deaths of Diana and Dodi in Paris in 1997, in a rare exception to the cardinal rule that the intelligence services never comment on any allegations made against them. Sitting a few metres away from him at the inquest in London's Royal Palaces of Justice was Dodi's father, the multi-millionaire businessman Mohammed al Fayed, who earlier this week repeated his claim that the couple were murdered in an MI6 plot directed by Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Dearlove, answering questions put by Ian Burnett, counsel for the inquest, said he was not aware that any assassinations had been authorized or carried out during his time at MI6. "Are you able to confirm from your own knowledge ... that no authorization was sought in respect of any activities concerning Princess Diana?," he was asked. "I can absolutely confirm that," answered Dearlove. The former intelligence chief said it was "utterly ridiculous" to claim that Prince Philip and Diana's former husband, Prince Charles, were active members of MI6, and had directed the alleged plot while on summer holiday at Balmoral, Scotland. Dearlove also rejected as "absurd" the suggestion that Britain's security services, guided by Prince Philip, were "really running the country." "It is suggested that Prince Philip and the intelligence agencies really run this country and that we are not a parliamentary democracy," Burnett asked. "I do not want to be flippant. I'm tempted to say I'm flattered, but this is such an absurd allegation that it is difficult to deal with ... It's completely off the map. I cannot think of any other way of saying it," answered Dearlove. He said the claim that MI6 could have controlled a conspiracy involving the French police, emergency and forensic services was "a mischievous and fanciful allegation." Dearlove told the inquest he was on holiday in the United States on August 31, 1997, when Diana died, but had "secure phone contact" with London. "Was there any operation of any kind made against or in respect of the Princess of Wales or Dodi al Fayed during that summer?" asked Burnett. "Absolutely not," answered Dearlove. "That includes all such things as eavesdropping, surveillance, bugging - anything that anyone could think?" "Everything," said Dearlove. "With what degree of confidence are you able to tell the jury of that fact?" "Complete confidence," the former intelligence chief replied.
