London (AFP)
The BBC announced Friday the departure for health reasons of its journalist Martin Bashir, known to have collected in 1995 the shattering confidences of Princess Diana in conditions which are still controversial.
Martin Bashir, 58, in charge of religious coverage for British public radio and television since 2016, interviewed Lady Di for the Panorama program, watched by 23 million Britons.
The interview, which had propelled his career, had the effect of a bomb: the princess, who died two years later in a car accident in Paris, pursued by paparazzi, affirmed that there were "three people "in her marriage - referring to Charles's relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles - and admitted to having an affair herself.
Twenty-five years after this interview, Diana's brother Charles Spencer accused the journalist of forging documents to obtain this interview.
"Martin Bashir has resigned his post as head of religious coverage and is leaving the group," BBC News deputy director Jonathan Munro said.
"He told us about his decision last month, just before being readmitted to hospital for another heart surgery," he added, stressing that due to "persistent problems", Martin Bashir had decided to "focus on his health".
According to Charles Spencer, Martin Bashir had shown him account statements - which turned out to be false - proving that the security services were paying two people in court to spy on his sister.
This is what prompted him, according to him, to introduce the journalist to Lady Di.
The BBC announced in November that it was launching an independent investigation, led by a former Supreme Court justice, John Dyson, into the circumstances surrounding the interview with Princess Diana, a decision which had been hailed by her eldest son, the Prince. William.
The police, however, decided in March not to launch an investigation.
Besides Lady Di, Martin Bashir also interviewed pop star Michael Jackson for a documentary made in 2003 for ITV.
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