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Was Alps murder victim involved in a shady work deal? French police probe father's business deal as tapes reveal the level of hatred between feuding brothers
One year since Saad Al-Hilli, his wife and her mother were all shot dead The Al-Hilli's daughters, Zainab, eight, and Zeena, five, both traumatised Kept recordings of all his phonecalls in inheritance dispute with brother Claims a 'mercenary' from the Balkans could have been paid to kill family Inheritance dispute between Saad and his brother is also a line of inquiry
By Peter Allen PUBLISHED: 10:55 GMT, 6 September 2013 | UPDATED: 16:01 GMT, 7 September 2013

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'Real hatred': French police say Mr Al-Hilli kept detailed recordings of all his telephone conversations leading up to his murder while in a bitter inheritance dispute with his brother

Detectives trying to unlock the Alps murders case believe a deal involving a 'transfer of technologies' could be a key line of inquiry, it has emerged. Investigators remain baffled as to why three members of a British-Iraqi family were shot dead close to Lake Annecy, in eastern France, a year ago. But at a joint Anglo-French press briefing they said 'industrial espionage could also indicate the involvement of secret services'. The officer leading the investigation also said that Saad Al-Hilli, a 50-year-old engineer from Surrey who was among the victims, kept meticulous recordings of all of his conversations up until the massacre. Annecy prosecutor Eric Maillaud, who is leading the inquiry, said a bitter inheritance dispute between Saad and his brother Zaid Al-Hilli, 54, was an important line in the investigation. Mr Maillaud said: The victim recorded all his telephone conversations. We therefore have some very precise details. The prosecutor said Saad 'had in his possession a lot more material than his job would justify', The Mirror has reported. Mr Maillaud said: 'The theory that this relates to foreign countries and industrial espionage could also indicate the involvement of secret services. 'This is one aspect of an extremely complex investigation, one which is going to demand a lot more time.' Al-Hilli's brother Zaid was arrested in June under suspicion of conspiracy to murder, and is currently on police bail. He vehemently denies any wrongdoing. Mr Maillaud said that there was a real hatred between the two brothers, and that Saad carried all the documents relating to their dispute on holiday with him to France last year. On September 5th 2012, he was killed in the attack by a gunman, along with his wife Ikbal, 47, and her

mother Suhaila al-Allaf, 74. French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, 45, was also killed in shootings which orphaned Saads daughters, Zainab, eight, and Zeena, five.

Grim: Yesterday a source says an 'English witness' suggested the entire Al-Hilli family was targeted by a 'mercenary' from the Balkans for just 1680

A total of 21 bullets were used in the killing, with none damaging the bodywork of the family BMW in which the Al-Hillis were sitting. Instead, bullets passed straight through a car window before finding their human targets. At least five others ended up in the body of the cyclist, Mr Mollier, with the gunman reloading at least twice, ballistics reports suggest. There was a certain form of obsession about the inheritance dispute, said Mr Maillaud, explaining that it concerned money and property left by the brothers father, Kadhim, who died in Spain two years ago aged 85.

Suspect: Saad's brother Zaad Al-Hilli, 54, pictured, was arrested at his home in Surrey in June on suspicion of conspiracy to murder but has since been bailed

Mr Maillaud said that the recorded phone conversations, together with computer records, were being studied at length, and could provide vital clues before Zaid is re-interviewed by police in October. But British police confirmed that Zaid was in the UK last September, and was not considered the prime suspect. 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 inquiry and we continue to have a team of officers dedicated to supporting the investigation. We have established a good working relationship with our French colleagues and are continuing to pursue a number of lines of inquiry in the UK. One theory put forward by an 'English witness' says an assassin with military experience may have murdered a British family and a French cyclist in the Alps for just 420 each. The chilling claim was made yesterday on the first anniversary of the massacre. The source confirmed that a witness had suggested the entire Al-Hilli family was targeted by a 'mercenary' from the Balkans who was paid the equivalent of just 1680. British police officers involved in the Anglo-French investigation have so far refused to comment on the enquiry, but their counterparts in Annecy confirmed that suspicions about a contract killing are 'high on the agenda'.

The victim recorded all his telephone conversations. We therefore have some very precise details' - Annecy prosecutor Eric Maillaud

French detectives are also following up claims that a French convict was offered '100,000 euros (84,000 ) 'to eliminate an Iraqi settled in England', according to claims published in the Le Figaro newspaper yesterday. This suggests that someone may have explored a number of options before finally ordering a hit. Saad's brother was arrested at his home in Surrey in June on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, but has since been bailed. Zaid, who has proved he was in the UK this time last year, denies any wrongdoing and there is no concrete proof for any of the claims about the killings being commissioned. But the French now routinely leak information allegedly linking Zaid to the murders, while attempting to close down other lines of enquiry. Annecy prosecutor Eric Maillaud said the brothers were in dispute over their father's inheritance, which included the 1 million family home in Claygate, Surrey. 'Saad was scared of his brother,' said Mr Maillaud. 'It's for this reason that he changed the locks of the house.'

Probe: Sources close to the investigation have suggested that the killings could be linked to an inheritance dispute within the Al-Hilli family. But no evidence has been produced to support the suspicions. This is Saad Al Hilli's home

Today there were also claims from the French sources that the brothers had a 'visceral hatred' for one another and that Saad's 'paranoid fear' was so great that he kept an illegal Taser stun gun for personal protection. Saad had also started using satellite technology through his smart phone which enabled friends to track his

every move. The brothers' father, Kadhim, died in Spain two years ago aged 85, leaving several properties and the equivalent of more than 600,000 in a Geneva account. The French now claim Zaid had attempted to 'siphon' money from the account, and to fabricate his father's will in his favour. However, Mr Maillaud admitted that there was currently not enough evidence to charge Zaid, and that other theories could not be discounted. The murder scene - an isolated mountain layby - reopened a few days after the killings, and today floral tributes were already beginning to appear where the family BMW had been parked. Saad's seven-year-old daughter, Zainab, was beaten over the head with the butt of the suspected murder weapon - a Luger P06 in 7.65mm Parabellum. Her four-year old sister, Zeena was left deeply traumatised after hiding beneath the skirts of her dead mother in the back of the BMW for eight hours before being discovered by gendarmes. Both girls are now in the care of extended family, following a court battle with Surrey social services who wanted to keep them with foster parents. French police still believe they may still unlock the secrets of what happened through finally remembering what they saw.

BRUTAL BEAUTY SPOT KILLINGS HAVE LEFT TRAIL OF POSSIBLE THEORIES

The horrific killings of the Al-Hilli family in one of the most scenic areas in the French Alps has baffled detectives. Since the murders a year ago, a number of theories have emerged as to why the family were slaughtered. French investigating sources believe an inheritance dispute within the Al-Hilli family could be a motive.

Speculation: The killings in the French Alps have left a trail of theories. This image shows French Gendarmes close to the murder scene last year

There have also been revelations of a possible connection to the former regime of Saddam Hussein. It followed claims that the deposed tyrant may have deposited 840,000 into a Swiss bank account in the name of victim Said al-Hilli's father. At one stage, detectives believed they had been shot by a serial killer with a hatred of tourists. Police said they had linked the murders of the British family with the mysterious death of another tourist last July. Other theories have speculated that the French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, a 45-year-old nuclear industry worker, was the primary target. There have also been claims that a mystery motorcyclist seen around the Alpine beauty spot could have carried out the killings.

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Comments (37)
Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all France seems to be the place to get someone 'bumped off' without much fear of being caught, look at the Diana case - MadameTussaud , Paris, France, 07/9/2013 10:49 Click to rate Report abuse Its very weird and sadly unlikely to get solved - nicola , geneva, 07/9/2013 10:00 Click to rate Report abuse Was it the victim that taped every call or was it GCHQ/NSA ? - Hansel , London, United Kingdom, 07/9/2013 09:56 Click to rate Report abuse If their father left 600,000 and several properties in his estate, why didn't the 2 brothers just split the estate, and then each would have 300,000 and property each....sounds like pure greed to me. Rating 102 Rating 127 Rating 238

- redstripe , a proud small island, United Kingdom, 07/9/2013 09:54 Click to rate Report abuse What a relief to know that the extended family won the battle with Social Services. At least now they stand a real chance of a happy life, despite what happened to them. - Stella , Kent, 07/9/2013 09:17 Click to rate Report abuse So he kept meticulous recordings of all of his conversations up until the massacre.yet a year later they've not heard what's on these recordings which should have been one of the first things to do. I think its all a smoke screen to make the killer panic and make a mistake . - ripped off peasant , Newmarket, 07/9/2013 07:49 Click to rate Report abuse So he's actually left messages from beyond the grave? What, he's managed to phone his answer machine after he died? Well this is proof there is life after death. Or is it more sensational headlines by the DM. - Basid , Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Gods own country, 07/9/2013 07:47 Click to rate Report abuse A very tragic incident, typical of the French to release info to the press while the British Police keep quiet. The only way this case will be solved is by the British detectives who know what they are doing. Too many if's, buts and whys? at the moment. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey!! - David Baker Author , London, United Kingdom, 07/9/2013 06:30 Click to rate Report abuse ALL this recording and they haven't caught the killer yet? - miranda , london, United Kingdom, 07/9/2013 05:23 Click to rate Report abuse God love those two little girls. I think of them often, and wish them healing and happiness in their lives. - MsMontreal , Somewhere, Canada, 07/9/2013 04:57 Click to rate Report abuse Share this comment The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Rating 188 Rating 82 Rating 21 Rating 53 Rating 89 Rating 162 Rating 198

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