Chief suspect in WPc Fletcher murder demands payout
THE prime suspect in the murder of WPc Yvonne Fletcher is demanding “moral and material compensation” from the British police, according to court documents obtained by The Sunday Telegraph.
Saleh Ibrahim Mabrouk has also accused John Murray, a retired policeman who cradled WPc Fletcher in his arms as she lay dying, of causing him “harm” by bringing a legal action against him. Dr Mabrouk, 62, who was banned from the UK after being accused of war crimes in his native Libya, made his astonishing claims in a legal document lodged with the High Court.
It is the first time he has spoken out in detail over the accusations.
He is being sued by Mr Murray, 64, a former Met Police officer, for a token £1 in damages over his alleged involvement in the unsolved murder of WPc Fletcher, who was shot and killed while policing a demonstration outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984.
The CPS recommended that Dr Mabrouk, a senior member of the “revolutionary committee”, which ran the embassy, could be charged with conspiracy to murder for his involvement in the plot, but the case was not pursued and the file closed in 2017 on the grounds of national security.
Dr Mabrouk, a close aide to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and a former minister of education, remains the only person ever arrested in connection with WPc Fletcher’s murder.
In his legal defence submitted to the High Court, he insists he has done nothing wrong and instead maintains he has become a victim. Last night Mr Murray told The Sunday Telegraph that Dr Mabrouk’s response was “an absolute disgrace”. He said: “It is an insult to Yvonne and myself and to all my supporters and all the officers out there today.”
He went on: “What is to stop him appearing in court via video link. That can happen. There are other ways he can go to court and defend himself without actually being there.
“If he has got nothing to hide – what is the problem? I have got nothing to hide. I am quite willing to go to court
and give evidence about what happened that day.”
The Telegraph exclusively revealed Dr Mabrouk was excluded from Britain in 2019, more than a decade after setting up his family in Reading, Berks.
Lawyers acting for Mr Murray said the decision to ban Dr Mabrouk has threatened to deprive them of obtaining justice in the High Court.
In his application to strike out Mr Murray’s civil action, Dr Mabrouk wrote: “Honourable judge, me and my family, have been harmed by Mr John Murray and the British Police and I ask for moral and material compensation for the damage and harm caused to my reputation as an academic.”
Dr Mabrouk added that he had been told of the civil action by his wife, from whom he is now separated, and who is still living at the family home. He insisted the legal claim against him was “not arguable” and said: “There are no realistic prospects of success.”
He pointed out he was not present when WPc Fletcher was shot and killed because he had already been arrested and was in custody. The CPS recommended Dr Mabrouk could be charged with conspiracy to commit murder because there was evidence he was involved in the orders to shoot protesters.
In his legal submission, Dr Mabrouk pointed out British authorities had “given me several visas to enter Britain from 1999 to 2011”. He said he had been in receipt of a “student residence in 2009” for four years “to study a second doctorate at the University of Reading and there were no restrictions”.
The admission will cause anger and distress that a suspect in the murder was repeatedly given the right to live in the UK. He said he applied for asylum in 2012 but it was refused in July 2015.
Four months later he was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and also for “participating in planning to kill police officer Yvonne Fletcher”, according to his own legal defence. He denies all wrongdoing. No charges were ever brought.
Dr Mabrouk said he left the UK on July 11 2018 “on the request” of the Sajid Javid, the then home secretary. Mr Javid subsequently signed an order preventing Dr Mabrouk from returning in January 2019.
The decision led to allegations that the Government aided and abetted his departure to prevent the civil case coming to court and forcing Dr Mabrouk to be cross-examined.
Matthew Jury, Mr Murray’s solicitor at McCue & Partners, said: “There is nothing that should prevent John’s