UK prosecutors said Wednesday they were in contact with police probing the Epstein files, as new emails revealed ex-prince Andrew appeared to have shared further trade documents with the US sex offender.
“We are in close contact with both the Met and Thames Valley Police, but we haven’t been asked for formal advice yet,” Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson told journalists.
Thames Valley Police, responsible for the southern area of Windsor where Andrew previously lived, confirmed at the weekend it had received a report of alleged criminal misconduct and was “assessing the information in line with our established procedures”.
London’s Metropolitan police has also opened an investigation into the former UK envoy to Washington, Peter Mandelson, who is also alleged to have shared confidential government documents with late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
New revelations on Wednesday appeared to show that the former prince Andrew also sent to Epstein a confidential document on gold and uranium investments in Afghanistan when he was UK trade envoy, a role he held from 2001 to 2011.
“Attached is a confidential brief produced by the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province for International Investment Opportunities,” says the email sent by “A” to Epstein’s email address.
“I am going to offer this elsewhere in my network (including Abu Dhabi), but would be very interested in your comments, views or ideas as to whom I could also usefully show this to attract some interest.”
Dated December 19, 2010, the document is entitled “Helmand: High Value Commercial Opportunities for Foreign Investment Brief for HRH Duke of York”.
– Fall from grace –
King Charles III stripped his younger brother of all his titles including that of duke of York last year after one of Epstein’s victims alleged she had been trafficked to have sex with Andrew three times.
Anti-monarchy activist Graham Smith, who heads the pressure group Republic, said at the weekend he had filed a report to Thames police after emails between Andrew and the late Epstein were found among a huge trove of government files released by US authorities.
In one email from November 2010 when he was a UK trade representative, Andrew appeared to share with Epstein reports from an official visit to Asia.
Andrew, whose ties to Epstein have caused a spectacular years-long fall from grace, served as a British trade envoy for a decade from 2001.
He has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to his friendship with Epstein.
Mandelson was fired by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as US ambassador in September once it emerged he had maintained ties to his longtime friend Epstein even after he was convicted of sex offences against a minor in the US in 2008.
Charles on Monday voiced “concern” over the actions of his brother, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and has said the palace is ready “to support” the police investigation if asked.
Add Comment