British police won’t probe Martin Bashir’s Princess Diana interview as possible crime

Martin Bashir, the ex-BBC journalist who made his reputation with an explosive interview with Princess Diana in 1995, will not be investigated for a possible criminal offense, the London Metropolitan Police announced Wednesday.

It was good news, if not surprising, for Bashir, who resigned from the BBC in May amid health issues.

At the time, the BBC was under fire from Prince William and Prince Harry, and others, during an uproar stemming from an independent investigation into allegations that Bashir had obtained the Diana interview by “deceitful” means, including having commissioned fake bank statements to coerce her into participating.

In March of this year, Metropolitan Police decided not to begin a criminal investigation into “allegations of unlawful activity” made recently by Diana’s brother and media exposés in connection with the “Panorama” interview.

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Martin Bashir in January 2013 in Washington, D.C..

Then the Dyson Report was published in May, documenting how Bashir committed a “serious breach” of the BBC’s guidelines and how the BBC then failed to competently investigate legitimate concerns raised in the aftermath.

Both William and Harry issued blistering statements, accusing the BBC of contributing to Diana’s “fear, paranoia and isolation” in the months before she died in 1997. They said the public broadcaster helped create “a culture of exploitation and unethical practices” that led to her death in a Paris car wreck when she was being pursued by paparazzi.

Scotland Yard’s statement Wednesday said “specialist detectives” examined the Dyson Report and looked at the law, seeking independent legal advice from prosecutors and the British government.

“As a result, the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) has not identified evidence of activity that constituted a criminal offence and will therefore be taking no further action,” the statement concluded.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Princess Diana: Martin Bashir won’t be investigated for BBC interview

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