London - The Harrods owner, Mr Mohamed al-Fayed, has strongly rejected claims that he was involved in the leaking of MI6 operatives' names which were recently published on the Internet, writes Luke Holland. His denial came in the wake of press revelations that he is the subject of MI6 inquiries into the leak. Their investigations centre on his links with the "rogue spy" Richard Tomlinson and the US magazine which published the list.
Mr al-Fayed is now under pressure to explain contacts he had with both Mr Tomlinson and Lyndon LaRouche, who published the list on the Executive Intelligence Review website. He has confirmed that he was contacted by Mr Tomlinson, but insists that he told him to give any information he had to the authorities.
Mr al Fayed also said that his communications with Mr Tomlinson concerned the car crash which killed Princess Diana and his son Dodi. He has openly stated his belief that high-ranking MI6 officers were behind a plot to kill his son and the Princess.