David Kelly: The belly-dancing spy whose secrets they just ignored

Charismatic and exotic, Ms Pederson was an Arab-American linguist whom David Kelly met in Iraq in 1998...Mai Pederson — a bellydancing US Army sergeant who, according to both her ex-husbands, is a spy with an astonishing ability to bewitch men.

By NORMAN BAKER MP, Last updated at 00:59am on 23rd October 2007

Uuncorrected to this day, the transcripts of the Hutton Inquiry still refer to a mysterious figure called Mike Peddison, mentioned in the testimony of David Kelly’s wife Janice as a family friend.

In fact, the transcribers misheard the name.

Mrs Kelly was talking about Mai Pederson — a bellydancing US Army sergeant who, according to both her ex-husbands, is a spy with an astonishing ability to bewitch men.

Charismatic and exotic, Ms Pederson was an Arab-American linguist whom David Kelly met in Iraq in 1998.

Jim Pederson, her former husband, suggests getting to know Dr Kelly was part of an official assignment.

"She undoubtedly viewed him as an intelligence source," he said.

Whether or not this was her motive, the two became close.

She introduced Dr Kelly to the Baha’i faith, which teaches respect for life — and expressly forbids suicide.

On his frequent trips to the U.S., Dr Kelly crossed from New York to California, where Ms Pederson was stationed, whenever he could. It was a long way to go just to say hello.

Travesty of the truth: Was the Hutton Inquiry into David Kelly’s death just part of the cover-up?

Postal records show that in the 16 months prior to Dr Kelly’s death, Ms Pederson was registered at three different addresses in America where he was also registered as living.

As late as July 2003, the month Dr Kelly died, their names appear on the register for a house in Montgomery, Alabama.

They were an odd couple: he giving all the appearance of a boffin in his glasses, sports jacket and jeans; she fabulously attractive, seductively dressed and 16 years his junior.

After Dr Kelly’s death, Ms Pederson was at pains, through her lawyer, to reject suggestions that their relationship was anything but platonic.

She claimed he simply used her address to secure loans — which seems unlikely given that he could have used his existing British credit references.

Pederson told the Mail on Sunday that she did not believe that Kelly commited suicide Lord Hutton told me that he had first learnt of Ms Pederson through press reports and asked the Thames Valley Police to interview her in the States. Two detectives flew out and spent two days questioning her.

Later, he was assured by the police that she had nothing to say about Dr Kelly that was not available from other sources.

This seems strange. After all, she appeared uniquely placed to offer insights into his personality and frame of mind.

Indeed, an interview she subsequently gave to the Mail on Sunday was electric in its content.

She bluntly said she did not believe Dr Kelly committed suicide and revealed that he hated all types of pills.

I have since learned that on one occasion she visited Dr Kelly’s home in Oxfordshire, and when she said she was in pain for some reason, Janice Kelly offered her some of the coproxamol pills she took for arthritis.

She accepted, but Dr Kelly criticised his wife for offering tablets prescribed for her alone.

This can only reinforce doubts that he chose to kill himself by ingesting 29 of these tablets.

Platonic friend or not, Ms Pederson was clearly a key figure in David Kelly’s life.

It is difficult to see how Thames Valley Police concluded she had nothing of interest to say.

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