Former UK Ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson was arrested at his home in Camden on suspicion of public office misconduct.
Mandelson Arrested in London
On Monday, February 23, BBC reported that former UK Ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson was arrested at his home in Camden. The politician is suspected of misconduct while holding public office.
“Officers arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of public office misconduct. He was detained on Monday, February 23 in Camden and taken to a London police station for questioning. The arrest is related to searches of two properties in the Wiltshire and Camden areas,” the British police stated in a statement.
In the first half of February, police searched properties linked to Mandelson. The Metropolitan Police announced on Friday that officers had executed search warrants at two addresses – one in Wiltshire in southern England and another in the Camden district of north London.
Investigation into Mandelson-Epstein Ties
The friendship between British politician Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein was never a secret, and although it continued even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting underage girls for prostitution, Mandelson faced no consequences for a long time. Only after the disclosure of the first batch of documents – which included Mandelson’s statements that Epstein was wrongfully convicted and evidence of Mandelson’s paid travel – was the politician removed from his post as ambassador to the US.
Further documents revealed that Mandelson received payments from Epstein, and as a business minister, he lobbied the government for legal changes favorable to his friend. He is also said to have passed confidential documents and government information to Epstein, including revealing a secret tunnel between the Prime Minister’s residence on Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence. After these facts were made public, Mandelson resigned his membership in the Labour Party and the House of Lords. The investigation into Mandelson’s actions is currently being conducted by London police.
Prince Andrew’s Arrest and Investigation
British police are also continuing to search the former residence of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in Windsor, where the former prince lived for over 20 years. Former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of abuse of public power and spent 11 hours in custody on his 66th birthday. The investigation concerns his connections with Jeffrey Epstein, who has been accused of sexual offenses.
Searches of the Royal Lodge in Windsor have been ongoing since the weekend and are scheduled to continue in the coming days. The former residence of the monarch’s brother is huge, located in the heart of a park near the royal castle, with detectives meticulously searching every inch of the property for evidence in the investigation. The investigation conducted by Thames Valley Police focuses on whether the former British trade envoy could have passed confidential information to Epstein while in office. King Charles III’s brother denies all allegations, but has not directly addressed the accusations.
