Prince Andrew 'angry' at claims of 'zero cooperation' in Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking inquiry

King Charles III coronation
1/59
Rebecca Speare-Cole29 January 2020

The Duke of York is reported to be "angry and bewildered" at a claim by US authorities that he has provided "zero cooperation" in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking inquiry.

Prince Andrew is "happy to talk" to the FBI but has not been approached by them, a source close to the royal told the Daily Telegraph.

Mr Berman claimed his lawyers had been contacted by prosecutors and the FBI as part of the probe.

Buckingham Palace did not comment following the press conference, but it was understood the matter was being dealt with by Andrew's legal team.

But a source told the Telegraph: "The duke is more than happy to talk to the FBI but he hasn't been approached by them yet.

The Duke of York in an interview with BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis
PA

"He is angry about the way this is being portrayed and bewildered as to why this was said in New York."

Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by Epstein, said in an interview with BBC Panorama that she was left "horrified and ashamed" after an alleged sexual encounter with Andrew in London in 2001.

Andrew categorically denies he had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Ms Giuffre.

Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by Epstein
AP

He stepped down from royal duties in November following a disastrous Newsnight interview in the wake of the scandal.

At the time, he said: "I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency."

Following the interview, he was accused of failing to show regret over his friendship with the disgraced financier, who took his own life in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.

Mr Berman, who is overseeing the investigation, told reporters outside Epstein's New York mansion that "to date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation".

US lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents five of Epstein's alleged victims, said lawyer Mr Berman had been left with "no choice" but to comment publicly about Andrew's alleged lack of cooperation because he did not have the power to subpoena the royal as part of the criminal investigation.

Speaking to BBC News on Tuesday, she called on Andrew to "stop playing games" and "do the right thing" by speaking to the authorities to assist with their investigation into the inquiry.

Meanwhile, Harry Dunn’s parents have called for a high profile exchange between the UK and the US in a fresh bid to see their son’s suspected killer return to face justice in Britain.

They want to see Andrew’s sought-after testimony used as a bargaining chip to secure the extradition of Anne Sacoolas.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in