Born: 3 July 1956
Age: 41
Marital Status: Single
Nationality: French
Place of birth: Lorient, southern Brittany, France
Health: Robust. The recent medical exam said his reflexes and general
health were good, though he needed spectacles for long-distance vision. Dr
Dominique Milo provided Prozac as a mild anti-depressant.
Education: Baccalaureat in mathematics and science at the Lyon St.
Louis; prizes in classical piano.
Interest: Private Pilots' License from 27 June 1976, instruments rated,
605 hours logged.(View Henri Paul's Certificate of Physical
and Mental Capacity)
Military Service: Normal one-year conscription, at Rochefort airbase
assigned to security detail; left as lieutenant enlisted in reserves.
Employment: 1980-86 Sales representative at Emeraude Marine, Paris
1986-97 Security officer at the Ritz. Acting head at time of his death.
Though single, Paul had lived with Laurence Pujol and her daughter, Samantha, for four years, until they moved out of his apartment in 1992. Contact was kept until April 1995. About drink, she said of Paul: "Wine made him joyful, He'd get very happy and do gags to make people laugh. Sometimes he would make you think he was really drunk when he wasn't. He was a joker. He played around a lot, but never got incoherent on alcohol."
At the time of his death, Paul was in a relationship with a woman, with whom he dined regularly. Two days after his death, a different, unknown woman delivered keys of his apartment to his parents. The day following the visit by this unknown woman, police searched Paul's apartment and amongst other possessions found a supply of wine, beer and a dozen bottles of spirits.
As a pilot, he was well-regarded by George Bielek, a flying instructor: "He was a good man. Now, we never had problem with, with him and - he was a very serious and a quiet and er, he, he make you, his job very good in, in, in er, in flight. He was a good private pilot, serious, and er, he, he's looking for progressing each time."
Just two days before the accident he completed a rigorous medical to renew his flying license. The medical found no signs of alcoholism.
Paul used his position at the Ritz to freelance for various Intelligence services. His friend Claude Garrec said on this: "All I can tell you is that he had contacts within the French and foreign intelligence services."
Richard Tomlinson, late of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (and Special Air Service) said: "I know Henri Paul worked for MI6." He went on to detail this claim: "I first came across Paul's name in 1992-93 in a dossier when I was investigating an arms dealer. There was reference to a meeting with Harrod's owner Mohammed Al Fayed and a reference to Henri Paul as a minor MI6 asset." "Paul would give MI6 guys access to hotel rooms to plant bugs..."
There are also claims that Paul worked for both French and Israeli Intelligence
services. It is these extra-curricular activities that may be used to account
for the otherwise unexplained moneys held by Paul:
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