War of words: US prosecutors say Prince Andrew not co-operating in Epstein probe
US prosecutors and attorneys for the royal sniped at one another across the Atlantic.
By AP | Updated:
AP
Before Monday, the US attorney in Manhattan, Geoffrey S. Berman, had said that Andrew has provided 'zero cooperation' to American investigators.
LONDON: US prosecutors and attorneys for Britain's Prince Andrew sniped at one another across the Atlantic on Monday, each saying the other side was to blame for the duke's failure to participate in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking probe.
Andrew's lawyers said in a statement that he has offered three times this year to speak with US investigators after being assured that he "is not and has never been a 'target' of their criminal investigations into Epstein."
That offer, though, came with a request that "our co-operation and any interview arrangements would remain confidential," said the firm Blackfords LLP in London.
"Unfortunately, the DOJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the Duke has offered zero cooperation. In doing so, they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered," the lawyers said.
Hours later, the US attorney in Manhattan, Geoffrey S. Berman, issued a statement saying the prince had tried to "falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to cooperate" even as he repeatedly declined to schedule an interview.
"If Prince Andrew is, in fact, serious about cooperating with the ongoing federal investigation, our doors remain open, and we await word of when we should expect him," Berman said.
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Berman's statement addressed only Prince Andrew's willingness to be interviewed. It made no mention of the claims by his lawyers that the Department of Justice had advised them that Andrew is not a target of the investigation, or that they made any promise that whatever he told investigators would be confidential.
Before Monday, Berman had said that Andrew has provided "zero cooperation" to American investigators.
Prince Andrew has publicly stated he will cooperate with any "appropriate law enforcement agency". Attorney General William Barr told Fox News on Monday that prosecutors are not seeking to extradite Andrew.
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"I don't think it's a question of handing him over," Barr said. "I think it's just a question of having him provide some evidence, but beyond that I'm not going to comment." Epstein killed himself in a U.S. jail last summer as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.
One of the women who was sexually abused by Epstein as a teenager, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, has claimed that the financier flew her around the world on private planes to have sex with powerful men, and that she had sexual encounters with Andrew in London and New York, starting when she was 17.
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Andrew denies the allegation.
The contrasting views of what is going on behind the scenes came after The Sun newspaper and other media organizations reported that the U.S. Department of Justice had submitted a mutual legal assistance request to Britain's Home Office. Such requests are used in criminal cases under a treaty and are generally used when material can't be obtained on a police cooperation basis.
U.S. investigators are still examining potential criminality by Epstein's associates. Multiple women have said the financier had helpers who recruited underage girls into a network of sexual servants.
Andrew's help is being sought as a witness, his lawyers said.
"Far from our client acting above the law, as has been implied by press briefings in the US, he is being treated by a lower standard than might reasonably be expected for any other citizen,'' Blackfords said. "Further, those same breaches of confidentiality by the DOJ have given the global media - and, therefore, the worldwide audience - an entirely misleading account of our discussions with them."
Prince Andrew And His Dodgy Friendships With Epstein, Gaddafi's Son & Kazakh Billionaire
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The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, has found himself in hot water over his friendships with dictators, fixers, and even a convicted paedophile.
Known for dating models and actresses, Britain’s Prince Andrew, who had earned himself the nickname “party prince”, is in trouble over links to the now deceased American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and accusations of paedophilia. It would be far from the first time the 59-year-old has courted controversy. In the past, the Duke of York, eighth in line to the crown, has made headlines, mostly for some dodgy friendships.
(Image: AP)
The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, has found himself in hot water over his friendships with dictators, fixers, and even a convicted paedophile.Known for dating models and actresses, Britain’s Prince An..
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Saif, the second son of Muammar Gaddafi and once seen as the heir apparent to the Libyan dictator, was the suave, English-speaking, reformist face of the Libyan regime. However, following the revolution in 2011, he was also being accused of using lethal force on protesters, torture, enslavement and crimes against humanity. He was also allegedly friends with Prince Andrew. And though the royal family denied this as being the case, a report in Daily Mail quoted sources as saying that the Prince met Gaddafi in Libya in 2008, and privately on two other occasions. The scandal broke in 2011, just as the royal family was preparing for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and there were talks that Andrew’s links to Gaddafi — and a string of other notorious Middle East tycoons — might result in him being stripped of his title and duties.
(Image: http://ronpaulinstitute.org)
Saif, the second son of Muammar Gaddafi and once seen as the heir apparent to the Libyan dictator, was the suave, English-speaking, reformist face of the Libyan regime. However, following the revolut..
Read More
Among the Duke of York’s responsibilities was to be UK’s trade representative, and Andrew exploited this luxury travel to a point that he was called ‘Air Miles Andrew’ in the media. Among the many people he met was the Azerbaijan president who was accused of several human rights violations. These meetings included a formal lunch at the Buckingham Palace and four meetings at the annual Davos forum. Andrew also visited Baku just weeks after a highly disputed election in 2010. There were also talks that he may have business interests in the oil-rich country, including a golf resort off the Caspian Sea, although the palace denied these reports.
(Image: Reuters)
Among the Duke of York’s responsibilities was to be UK’s trade representative, and Andrew exploited this luxury travel to a point that he was called ‘Air Miles Andrew’ in the media. Among the many pe..
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In 2007, Andrew sold his house, valued at 12 million pounds, for 15 million pounds. Good business? Maybe, but at the same time as the sale, the Prince was also representing British businesses in Kazakhstan. And the person who happened to purchase his house was Kazakh businessman Timur Kulibayev. In fact, reports in the media even said Andrew went goose hunting with Kulibayev’s father-in-law, then Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev. The reports said Andrew’s role was to act as a “fixer” in a business deal, and he stood to make nearly four million pounds for his efforts.
(Image: https://olympic.kz)
In 2007, Andrew sold his house, valued at 12 million pounds, for 15 million pounds. Good business? Maybe, but at the same time as the sale, the Prince was also representing British businesses in Kaza..
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None of these friendships were as damaging to Andrew as his relationship with businessman financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew said he met Epstein for the first time in 1999 through the latter’s girlfriend, whom he had known since university. The two vacationed together in the Caribbean, while Epstein was also a guest at a party hosted by the Queen. Andrew told the BBC recently that he saw Epstein three times a year. He also admitted that it was wrong of him to stay at Epstein’s house in 2010, but didn’t regret their entire friendship.
Epstein was accused of paying minor girls to perform sex acts at his mansion. He spent 13 months in prison for soliciting a minor for prostitution, and was also charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy. He would have been sentenced to 45 years in prison if convicted, but he killed himself in July this year.
(Image: AP)
None of these friendships were as damaging to Andrew as his relationship with businessman financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew said he met Epstein for the first time in 1999 through the latter’s girlfr..
