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Prince Andrew not cooperating in Jeffrey Epstein inquiry, say US prosecutors Prince Andrew giving 'zero' cooperation to Epstein inquiry, say US prosecutors
(32 minutes later)
US attorney for southern district of New York says so far Andrew has not responded to a request for an interviewUS attorney for southern district of New York says so far Andrew has not responded to a request for an interview
US federal prosecutors and the FBI have asked to interview Prince Andrew about the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein but he has not responded, said Geoffrey Berman, US attorney for the southern district of New York, on Monday. Prince Andrew has provided “zero” cooperation with the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking inquiry, US prosecutors said on Monday, despite earlier promises to help investigations in any way possible.
Berman spoke outside the mansion in Manhattan formerly owned by Epstein, who died in custody in New York in August. His death was ruled a suicide. Speaking outside Epstein’s Manhattan mansion, Geoffrey Berman, US attorney for the southern district of New York, said the agencies had contacted Andrew regarding an interview, but that he had not yet agreed to provide one.
The prince’s longstanding relationship with Epstein has come under intense scrutiny. Andrew attempted to address the situation in a BBC interview in November but the effort backfired and amid a cascade of negative publicity, he stepped back from public royal duties. Prince Andrew stepped back from royal duties in November, following a widely-criticized interview with the BBC about his friendship with Epstein.
The prince had offered to co-operate with US authorities investigating claims against Epstein, a wealthy financier who is alleged to have sexually assaulted a large number of underage girls. At the time, Andrew said he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations if required” over the ongoing US probe into Epstein, who was charged with sex-trafficking.
But Berman said Andrew had provided no cooperation so far. But at a press conference in New York City’s Upper East Side, Berman told reporters that requests had so far gone unanswered.
More details soon … Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, along with the FBI, were seeking to interview Andrew as they probe into Epstein’s potential co-conspirators.
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and charged with sex trafficking girls as young as 14. He was found dead in a jail cell in August 2019, the medical examiner ruled his death to be suicide.
The wealthy financier once had a wealthy and influential circle of friends that included Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and Prince Andrew.
That network largely deserted Epstein after he pleaded guilty to procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Andrew, however, stayed at Epstein’s home in December 2010, months after he had been released from prison.
One of Epstein’s accusers in his July arrest, Virginia Giuffre, said she was instructed to have sex with Andrew in 2001, when she was 17-years-old.
Prince Andrew told the BBC he had “no recollection” of meeting Giruffre, and said on the night the alleged sex occurred he was at a Pizza Express in Woking.
After Epstein’s death William Barr, the US attorney general, vowed that the federal sex-trafficking case into Epstein would continue. “Any co-conspirators should not rest easy,” Barr said at the time.
Andrew was effectively suspended from royal duties by Queen Elizabeth in the aftermath of his BBC interview. In a statement released in Andrew’s name, he said:
“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support.
“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”
Before being asked about the Duke, Mr Berman confirmed the investigation was looking at possible “conspirators” who worked with Epstein.
He added: “Jeffrey Epstein couldn’t have done what he did without the assistance of others, and I can assure you that the investigation is moving forward.”