Saturday 8 September 2012

France shootings: Police search Saad al-Hilli home



French police speak to their British counterparts outside the home of Saad al-Hilli in SurreyFrench officers arrived at the family home in Surrey to conduct searches

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A police search operation has taken place at the Surrey home of a British man shot dead in the French Alps along with his wife and two others.
Three French officers, accompanied by Surrey Police, began examining the home of Saad al-Hilli, 50, in Claygate.
They have also asked Italian and Swiss counterparts to help them in their hunt for those responsible.
Post-mortem tests showed all those killed were shot twice in the head, French prosecutor Eric Maillaud said.
Mr Maillaud told a news conference at Annecy near to the site of Wednesday's killings that examinations were completed on Friday night, but refused to go into any more detail.
Meanwhile, speaking outside Surrey Police headquarters, Colonel Marc de Tarle, who heads the National Gendarmerie Criminal Affairs Bureau, said the investigation was likely to be "long and complex" and thanked the force for its support.
Two relatives have gone to France to comfort Mr al-Hilli's daughters, who remain in hospital, and are under police protection.
The man and woman arrived in France on Friday night, accompanied by a British social worker and family-liaison officers from Surrey Police, and are expected to see four-year-old Zeena later.
Zeena spent eight hours hiding in the car before being found by officers.
Saad al-HilliMr al-Hilli's daughters are believed to be the only witnesses to Wednesday's killings
Police said she was between her mother and the older woman, and hid under her mother's skirt when the shooting started.
Her sister, seven-year-old Zainab, remains in a medically-induced coma in Grenoble University Hospital after being shot and beaten.
The BBC's Imogen Foulkes, in Annecy, said: "Police say they hope a visit will take place soon, but add that any contact must be in the presence of French investigators - a reminder that the al-Hilli family itself is part of their inquiry."
Mr Maillaud told reporters Zeena had been interviewed but he did not see a "need" to speak to her again as she "did not see anything" after taking shelter at her mother's feet.
On Friday, he said Zeena had identified her family and described the "fury" and "terror" of the attack to police.
Mr Maillaud, who had previously said 25 shots were fired in total, told reporters officers had discovered more information about the ballistics but details would not be disclosed publicly.
Earlier media reports said that a possible dispute over money between Mr al-Hilli and his brother, Zaid, is one of the lines of inquiry in the investigation.
Zaid al-Hilli, who had told UK police there was no dispute over "financial matters", would be interviewed by French officers "just like any other family member" as a "witness", Mr Maillaud said.
The prosecutor added a "considerable amount of information" had been gathered and the investigating was fast moving.
He said: "There are 40 French who are working on this matter.... there are a great number of people working on it on the British side... No scenario, no path in fact is closed until you're sure."
Saad al-Hilli and his family arrive at the Solitaire du Lac camp site on Monday. Close to the shores of Lac Annecy, in the Haute Savoie region of France the area is popular with British tourists. They pitch their tents next to their caravan, shown above. Saad al-Hilli and his family arrive at the Solitaire du Lac camp site on Monday. Close to the shores of Lac Annecy, in the Haute Savoie region of France, the area is popular with British tourists. They pitch their tents next to their caravan, shown above.

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