The BBC “covered up” a reporter’s “deceitful behavior” used to obtain an interview with Princess Diana, according to a report.
The report, commissioned by BBC’s current-director general Tim Davie and released Thursday, found that Bashir did go against the BBC’s ethical guidelines by using falsified bank statements to gain access to Princess Diana.
The report also found that the BBC Press Office told journalists that Bashir was an “an honest and honourable man” despite previously knowing he had falsified the bank statements. The report stated that multiple senior officials knew that Bashir had lied.
“For the reasons that I have given, I am satisfied that the BBC covered up in its press logs such facts as it had been able to establish about how Bashir secured the interview,” Dyson concluded in the report.
The BBC has today published the Rt Hon Lord Dyson’s independent investigation into the circumstances around the 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales: https://t.co/D8lDRmZJS1 pic.twitter.com/lpNI2HvlCc
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) May 20, 2021
Bashir was originally accused of falsifying bank statements that led Diana to believe the palace aides were working against her in order to land the one-on-one interview, CNN Business reported. (RELATED: Martin Bashir Quits BBC Amid Investigation Into His 1995 Interview With Princess Diana)
“Although the report states that Diana, Princess of Wales, was keen on the idea of an interview with the BBC, it is clear that the proceeds for securing the interview fell far short of what audiences have a right to expect,” Davie said in a statement. “We are very sorry for this. Lord Dyson has identified clear failings.”
“While today’s BBC has significantly better processes and procedures, those that existed at the time should have prevented the interview being secured this way,” he continued. “The BBC should have made greater effort to get to the bottom of what happened at the time and been more transparent about what it knew.”
The 1995 interview between Bashir and Princess Diana came as her marriage was falling apart. She told Bashir there were “three of us,” referring to Camilla Parker Bowles’ alleged affair with Prince Charles. The Prince would later marry Bowles after Diana’s death.
Bashir gave his own statement on the investigation and apologized again.
“This is the second time that I have willingly fully co-operated with an investigation into events more than 25 years ago,” said the 58-year-old, as quoted by the outlet. “I apologized then, and I do so again now, over the fact that I asked for bank statements to be mocked up. It was a stupid thing to do and was an action I deeply regret. But I absolutely stand by the evidence I gave a quarter of a century ago, and again more recently.”
Bashir also stepped down from his role as BBC’s religion editor May 14, although he cited health reasons.