Police arrest former Prince Andrew, brother of British King Charles III
London, Feb 19 (EFE)
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of Britain’s King Charles III, was arrested Thursday in Norfolk, eastern England, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, the BBC reported.
Thames Valley Police, the force that covers Windsor, just outside London, said officers went to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk this morning, where Andrew lives. He has been at the center of a major controversy due to his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to Thames Valley Police, he is being held at a police station.
The uproar surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of all his titles and honors by his brother, has intensified after emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that the former prince provided Epstein with sensitive British government documents.
A few days ago, Thames Valley Police reported that it was assessing the information to decide whether to proceed with a criminal investigation.
In a statement released today, law enforcement indicated that this morning an arrest was made “on suspicion of misconduct in public office and we are carrying out searches at addresses” in Berkshire, where Windsor is located, and Norfolk.
The statement adds that it is an “active” case, and therefore “caution is advised regarding any publications to avoid incurring contempt of court.”
“Following a thorough assessment, we have opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office. It is important to protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation,” it emphasizes.
“We understand the high level of public interest in this case and will provide timely updates,” the statement concludes.
Under UK law, an arrest requires that the police have reasonable grounds to suspect that a crime has been committed and to believe that it is necessary to arrest the person.
Several British police forces are currently examining the movements of Epstein’s private plane at various UK airports to try to determine if it was used by the financier to traffic underage girls.
The late Virginia Giuffre claimed in 2014 that she was trafficked to the UK by Epstein when she was a minor and forced to have sex with the former prince, an allegation he has always denied.
