Ex-minister urges probe of Andrew’s UK trade envoy role
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s tenure as trade envoy should be investigated for possible corruption, a former UK trade secretary has said.
Documents released by the US Justice Department appear to show the former prince shared secret reports about his role as Britain’s trade envoy with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Sir Vince Cable, whose tenure as trade secretary between 2010 and 2015 overlapped with Andrew’s ambassadorial duties, said the activity was “completely unacceptable”.
Sir Vince told the BBC: “We need a police or DPP (director of public inquiry) to check whether criminal corruption is taking place and a government inquiry into how this was allowed to happen.”
Emails released as part of the so-called Epstein files in early February appear to show the former Duke, who served as trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, sharing reports of his official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore with the late financier, who was convicted in 2008 of soliciting under-18s into prostitution.
In 2019, Epstein was found dead by suicide in his New York prison cell where he was being held on sex trafficking charges.
Thames Valley Police said they were in discussions with experts from the Crown Prosecution Service about allegations Andrew shared confidential reports.
“Whilst we cannot give a timetable for when a decision on whether a criminal investigation will be opened will be made, we can assure you that Thames Valley Police is making progress as quickly as possible,” the force said in a statement on Wednesday. he said.
Deputy Police Chief Oliver Wright said that they are leading the evaluation of allegations of abuses in public office, especially those related to documents in the US Department of Justice’s Epstein files.
Labor MP Sarah Owen, who chairs the British House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, said this week that Andrew should answer to the police and parliament over the allegations.
King Charles publicly expressed his “deep concern” over the abuse allegations against Andrew, while Buckingham Palace said it would “stand ready to provide support” to police if approached.
Despite efforts to draw a line on the issue when the king exiled Andrew and stripped him of his titles, much of the royal family’s work in recent weeks has been overshadowed by the Epstein scandal.
