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Cherie Blair embroiled in controversy

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON DEC. 5. Cherie Blair, the "headline- prone'' wife of the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, found herself embroiled in a new controversy on Thursday after a tabloid newspaper published a series of emails to `prove' its allegation that a convicted con man had helped her buy two flats in Bristol at a discount.

Within hours, Mrs. Blair admitted that it was true that she had taken the help of Peter Foster who claims to have saved the Blair's £69,000 pounds on two luxury flats.

In a statement she regretted any misunderstanding that this might have caused between the media and the Prime Minister's office which had earlier denied the allegation.

Peter Foster, who was jailed on fraud charges and is fighting deportation to Australia where he is wanted for police investigation, is reported to be a friend of Mrs. Blair's fashion adviser, Carole Caplin.

The Mail published the emails after Downing Street consistently maintained that Foster had not played a role in the deal.

A bitter critic of the Blair Government, the mass circulation tabloid went to town this morning with a screaming headline saying that No 10 had `lied'. A Downing Street spokesman was quoted as saying that it had been decided to issue the statement because of the "continuing personal campaign by Mail''.

He refused to be drawn into a "point by point rebuttal'' of every allegation.

The incident has embarrassed the Blairs even though no legal impropriety is involved.

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