Prince Andrew vehemently denies allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl procured by Epstein.
London, United Kingdom:
Prince Andrew is “baffled” by allegations that he is not cooperating with the US investigation into the alleged sex trafficking of minors by British socialist Ghislaine Maxwell and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, his legal team said Friday.
The daughter of the late newspaper baron Robert Maxwell is said to have introduced Andrew to Epstein – a convicted pedophile – and U.S. officials want to speak to the prince about their relationship.
Maxwell was arrested and charged by US authorities on Thursday after spending months in solitary confinement.
Epstein committed suicide in prison awaiting trial last year, and Queen Elizabeth II’s second son left office after defending his relationship with him.
He has since faced allegations by US prosecutors that he was reluctant to give his version of events.
“The duke’s team remains puzzled since we have contacted the DOJ twice in the past month and have not received any response to date,” said an anonymous source in his legal team, quoted by the Press Association news agency.
Audrey Strauss, the US’s acting attorney for New York’s southern district, told reporters on Thursday that they would “welcome Prince Andrew with us”.
“We would like to benefit from his statement,” she added.
The Duke of York, 60, vehemently denies allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl procured by Epstein.
Photos of him posing with his arm around the girl’s waist forced Andrew to give a disastrous television interview to the BBC which was quickly followed by his retirement from all royal office in November.
A lawyer representing some of Epstein’s alleged victims said on British television on Friday that the prince “avoided and evaded” American authorities.
“No more excuses, no more delays, it’s really painful for many victims. It’s just not fair,” lawyer Gloria Allred told ITV.
Another lawyer representing the alleged victims said that Andrew’s royal ties helped him avoid facing justice.
“He is hiding not only behind the royal family but also his lawyers,” said lawyer Spencer Coogan on BBC radio.
An American lawyer for the southern district of New York said last month that Andrew “repeatedly refused our request to schedule” an interview.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
