Alps victim’s brother denies rift

Journalists wait in front of Gendarmes, who block access to a site where people were shot to death near Chevaline, French Alps, Thursday Sept. 6, 2012. A 4-year-old British girl hid for eight hours beneath the bodies of slain family members in the back of their car before she was discovered by French investigators who had been guarding the vehicle, a prosecutor said Thursday. Three people " a man and two women " had been shot to death, as was a French cyclist whose body was found nearby. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Journalists wait in front of Gendarmes, who block access to a site where people were shot to death near Chevaline, French Alps, Thursday Sept. 6, 2012. A 4-year-old British girl hid for eight hours beneath the bodies of slain family members in the back of their car before she was discovered by French investigators who had been guarding the vehicle, a prosecutor said Thursday. Three people " a man and two women " had been shot to death, as was a French cyclist whose body was found nearby. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Published Sep 7, 2012

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Annecy, France - The brother of a Briton slain in a shooting in the French Alps has denied having any dispute with him, the French prosecutor in charge of the case said Friday.

Eric Maillaud said Saad al-Hilli's brother initially contacted British police after news of the attack and went back after media reports emerged of a fraternal dispute, telling them: “I have no conflict with my brother.”

Maillaud had earlier told AFP that British police had told French authorities of a financial dispute between the murdered British man and his brother but cautioned against jumping to the conclusion that it could be linked to Wednesday's attack.

The prosecutor also revealed that Hilli, who was shot Wednesday along with his wife and mother-in-law, was “totally unknown” to British intelligence services, contradicting media reports suggesting he had been placed under surveillance around the time of the last Gulf war. - Sapa-AFP

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