Former Prince Andrew has been arrested by British police on his 66th birthday on suspicion of abuse of public office.
Arrest Details
On Thursday, BBC reported that British police arrested former Prince Andrew on his 66th birthday. “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of abuse of public office,” the station confirmed.
Police Statement
Police issued a statement saying: “As part of an ongoing investigation, we have arrested a man over 60 from Norfolk on suspicion of abuse of public office. The man remains in police custody. In line with national guidelines, we will not be naming the arrested person. We also ask you to remember that the case is currently active, so please exercise caution when publishing it to avoid prejudicing the court.”
Deputy Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police told BBC that services decided to launch an investigation into the allegations of abuse of public office after a “detailed analysis.”
Background: Epstein Scandal
Former Duke of York renounced his royal titles after accusations of ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, though he consistently denied any wrongdoing. The suspicions include that the King’s brother provided secret documents to Epstein when he was the UK’s trade envoy.
Recent Document Release
At the end of January, the US Department of Justice published the final tranche of documents related to Epstein, which covers 99% of all materials in the case. Over three million pages of documents, as well as approximately two thousand recordings and 180 thousand photos were disclosed. Among these materials were photos allegedly showing former Prince Andrew, dressed in a white polo shirt and jeans, on all fours leaning over a girl lying on the floor.
