Prince Andrew has been named in secret new evidence detailing further allegations against his pedophile buddy Jeffrey Epstein.
According to reports, A US judge will decide within the coming weeks whether to unseal more than 3,000 pages of new evidence about ‘alleged’ crimes by Jeffrey Epstein.
Hundreds of people are said to be named in the files including the Duke of York as well as other well-known politicians and business figures.
The Daily Telegraph reports that all of those named in the files, which include statements from 29 people, will be formally told before January so they can respond.
The evidence is linked to a defamation lawsuit by Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Roberts, now Virginia Giuffre, against his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
Prince Andrew said in a interview on BBC Newsnight on Saturday that being friends with Epstein had some ‘seriously beneficial outcomes’, giving him the chance to meet people and prepare for a future role as a trade envoy.
Andrew said one alleged encounter with Ms Giuffre in 2001 did not happen as he spent the day with his daughter, Princess Beatrice, taking her to Pizza Express in Woking for a party.
The same alleged sexual liaison, which Giuffre said began with the duke sweating heavily as they danced at London nightclub Tramp, was claimed to have been factually wrong as Andrew said he had a medical condition at the time which meant he did not sweat.
He also denied that he slept with Miss Roberts, on three separate occasions, twice while she was underage under US law and claimed the photo of Roberts and himself was photoshopped.
Scotland Yard has ruled out any inquiry in the UK, but the FBI and the French authorities are currently conducting investigations.
It is possible for the FBI or French police to issue a ‘letter of request’ direct to Scotland Yard for assistance in taking a statement from Andrew.
They could request that an interview takes place with either British detectives or French or American investigators if they traveled to the UK to meet him.
The FBI could also issue a request for mutual legal assistance via the Home Office. But any statement or interview would only be voluntary and it is not possible to force a potential suspect or witness to co-operate without a warrant for their arrest. Andrew cannot be subpoenaed to give testimony because he lives outside the jurisdiction of US courts.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the Duke of York is not immune from prosecution. The Queen has sovereign immunity from civil or criminal prosecutions, but this does not extend to all members of the Royal Family.
Anna Rothwell, of law firm Corker Binning, said those connected to Epstein were ‘vulnerable to extradition’ due to the ongoing FBI investigation.
So is extradition possible?
The FBI would first consider if there is enough evidence to charge him with an offence. A formal extradition request would be made. The Home Secretary would have to decide whether to certify the request before it would be sent to Westminster Magistrates Court to consider.
A judge would need to be satisfied that his conduct amounts to an extraditable offence by considering whether there was evidence of guilt and if extradition would breach human rights.
An order would still need to be signed off by the Home Secretary. Yesterday lawyers claimed an extradition request to the US would be hard to resist. Due to the European agreements we currently have in place, extradition to France would be a more straightforward process.
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