ANDREW SNUBS FBI OVER EPSTEIN SEX QUIZ
Prince stonewalls interview requests despite TV pledge to help probe
PRINCE Andrew has ignored FBI pleas to be quizzed over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, a US Attorney claimed yesterday.
The snub comes after the Duke insisted in a November BBC interview he was “willing to help” agents investigating his paedophile pal’s sordid antics “if required”.
New York lawyer Geoffrey Berman said: “It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that public commitment. To date, he has provided zero cooperation.”
TWO months ago, Prince Andrew solemnly pledged to assist authorities with the investigation into his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein.
But a US Attorney yesterday accused the 59-year-old royal of showing no signs of helping agents who want to question him about the financier’s sordid antics.
During Andrew’s car crash Newsnight interview on the BBC in November he insisted he was “willing to help any appropriate law-enforcement agency with their investigations, if required”.
But furious US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman, threw doubt on the sincerity of the Prince’s promise.
He said: “It’s fair for people to know whether Prince Andrew has followed through with that public commitment.
“To date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation.”
Mr Berman made the comments at an event to raise awareness for New York State’s Child Victims Act while he was standing outside American Epstein’s mansion, where the Duke once stayed.
He spoke alongside members of Safe Horizon, a non-profit victim services agency, to discuss a new law that made it easier for people to sue over childhood sexual abuse.
The lawyer for Virginia Giuffre, who has claimed Andrew slept with her three times in 2001 when she was just 17, also attacked the royal for not responding to FBI requests for an interview.
Sigrid McCawley said: “Prince Andrew’s continued refusal to co-operate with authorities after acknowledging that he would be prepared to answer inquiries raises even more questions about the role he played in the international sex-trafficking Jeffrey Epstein and others operated.
“Andrew should take most seriously a deeply held belief in this country that no one is above the law.”
Buckingham Palace last night declined to comment but it is understood Andrew’s own legal team were dealing with “the issue”. Epstein
killed himself in jail last August, as he awaited trial for underage sex-trafficking. But authorities have promised to bring to justice all those who enabled the billionaire’s offending. Attorney General William Barr vowed: “Let me assure you this case will continue on against anyone who was complicit with Epstein. Any co-conspirators should not rest easy.
“The victims deserve justice, and they will get it.”
In November, Mr Barr said agents were moving ahead in the case, while hinting arrests could be made soon. He added:
“I’ll just say there is good progress being made, and
I’m hopeful in a relatively short time there will be tangible results.”
Mr Berman confirmed prosecutors are continuing to probe individuals who helped Epstein commit his vile crimes.
He said: “The original charges against Jeffrey Epstein contained a conspiracy charge, and we alleged there were conspirators involved, and Jeffrey Epstein couldn’t have done what he did without the assistance of others. I can assure you that our investigation is moving forward.” Mr Berman declined to say when any charges might be brought. One of those reportedly being investigated by the FBI is Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of disgraced media tycoon Robert. There have been allegations she acted as Epstein’s “madam”. The British socialite, who had denied any wrongdoing, is close to Andrew. She introduced the Prince to the tycoon in the late 1990s.
The FBI is probing hundreds of allegations by victims including those of Giuffre, who was Epstein’s “sex slave”. The Prince denies all the claims against him, insisting he does not recall meeting his accuser.
He also insisted he did not spend time with her at Tramp nightclub in London on March 10, 2001, as she claims. She alleges the pair first had sex after this meeting. Andrew said he spent the day at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey, with daughter Princess Beatrice before they returned home.
A photograph showing the Prince with his arm around Giuffre and with Maxwell standing next to them has been widely published. Andrew and his supporters have disputed its authenticity.
Mr Berman refused to comment when asked if Ghislaine Maxwell is cooperating with agents.
After his BBC interview, the Prince stepped down from royal duties indefinitely. In December, the Mirror revealed a second victim of Epstein had come forward to claim she too had sex with Andrew. Last week, it emerged his emails to Maxwell are at risk of being publicly released after her account was hacked.
Andrew is known to have messaged the 58-year-old over the Epstein scandal. He asked for information on Giuffre in 2015 just hours after the Palace was told she was going to speak about the allegations she made against him.
Details of the attack on Maxwell’s email account were in a letter filed by her lawyers in a defamation case brought against her by Giuffre.
It has been reported she used a secret mail server, and not a major one such Hotmail or Google – which can keep emails out of the hands of authorities – but which increased the risk of them being hacked.
Andrew heaped shame on the Royal Family after he was pictured walking with Epstein in Central Park, New York, in 2010.
That was just months after the paedophile was released from prison where he was serving time for procuring a minor for prostitution.
It emerged the Duke had flown on the sex offender’s private jet while also enjoying his lavish hospitality.
We alleged there were conspirators. I can assure you our investigation is moving forward
GEOFFREY BERMAN US ATTORNEY ON PROBE INTO EPSTEIN SEX ABUSE CASE