Alps Murder Suspect Denies Involvement

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Alps murder suspect Zaid al Hilli has denied any involvement in the shooting of his brother Saad and other family members.

Speaking on the first anniversary of the massacre, the accountant said: "I have no idea who killed them. Absolutely no idea."

He refused to discuss any details of his questioning by Surrey police after his arrest in June on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. He is currently on bail.

But French prosecutor Eric Maillaud has accused Mr Hilli, 54, of not co-operating with investigators.

M. Maillaud said: "He doesn't co-operate, which is even more intriguing. Saad was scared of his brother. It's for this reason he changed the locks of the house."

Saad al Hilli was shot dead with his wife and mother-in-law

The house is Saad al Hilli's £1m family home in Claygate, Surrey, which the prosecutor believes was part of a bitter inheritance dispute between the two brothers in the months before the murders.

However, Mr Hilli said before his arrest that he had loved his younger brother Saad and could not understand the murder. He denied they had had a row over money.

Saad al Hilli, 50, was shot dead in his car parked in a lay-by in a mountain road near Lake Annecy in France. Also killed were his wife Iqbal, 47, her mother Suhaila al Allaf, 74, and a French cyclist Sylvain Mollier.

The couple's daughter Zainab, seven at the time, recovered after being shot and pistol-whipped and her sister Zeena, who was four, was found unhurt hiding beneath her mother's body.

French investigators and Surrey detectives have explored several theories, including Saad al Hilli's Iraqi background and his work as a satellite design engineer, but have failed to establish a firm motive.

Saad al Hilli's family home in Claygate, Surrey

The apparent lack of progress in the investigation has angered friends of the family.

Engineer James Matthews said: "At Saad's house they dug up the garden, ripped up his book shelves, cut into his safe and took away his music.

"I thought Saad was the victim, but the police were treating him as though he was responsible for his own death."

Mr Matthews also said that Saad had asked him to be a witness for him if the dispute with his brother Zaid went to court.

Surrey police still have 40 officers working on the case on behalf of the French authorities. They revealed they have seized 5,000 documents, taken 560 witness statements and collected 1,600 other pieces of evidence.

Detective Superintendent Nick May said: "The tragic events of a year ago left four people dead in appalling circumstances.

"We remain committed to finding answers to what happened that day on behalf of their families, particularly for the two young girls who lost their parents.

"This remains a complex enquiry and we continue to have a team of officers dedicated to supporting the investigation."

The prosecutor and Surrey detectives are due to hold a news conference in Annecy on Friday, but are not expected to reveal any breakthrough in the case.

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