Prince Andrew asked by US to testify in Jeffrey Epstein sex case
1 hour ago
The Duke of York has been requested by the US authorities to testify about his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the BBC has been told.
It was first reported in the Sun that the US Department of Justice had made a formal request to speak to Prince Andrew as part of its Epstein inquiry.
He has been heavily criticised for his friendship with the US financier.
The duke has previously said he did not witness any suspicious behaviour during visits to Epstein's homes.
Prince Andrew stepped away from royal duties last year following a widely-criticised BBC interview about his relationship with Epstein, who took his own life in a US jail cell in August, aged 66, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said the BBC had confirmed the reports that the US authorities had submitted a mutual legal assistance (MLA) request to the Home Office - although this has not been confirmed by the US Department of Justice or the UK Home Office.
Under the terms of a MLA request if Prince Andrew does not voluntarily respond, he can be called to a UK court to answer questions.
Our correspondent said the duke's legal team was bitterly unhappy about the leaking of the request, with a source describing it as "an extraordinary breach of confidentiality".
A full statement is expected later with details about Prince Andrew's cooperation with US legal authorities.
MLA requests by other states are used to obtain assistance in an investigation or prosecution of criminal offences, generally when cooperation cannot be obtained by law enforcement agencies.
According to Home Office guidance, it is "usual policy" that the existence of a request is neither confirmed or denied.
Six things we learned from Prince Andrew interview
In his interview with the BBC's Newsnight programme in November 2019, the duke said he did not regret his friendship with Epstein, despite the financier having been convicted of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution in 2008.
He also denied having sex with Virginia Giuffre, when she was a teenager, who said she was trafficked by Epstein when she was 17.
Shortly after the interview was broadcast, Prince Andrew said he was "willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency".
He was criticised in January by the US prosecutor in charge of the investigation into Epstein - Geoffrey Berman - who said the prince had provided "zero co-operation" to the investigators.
Prince Andrew 'offered to help Jeffrey Epstein prosecutors'
18 minutes ago/ Posted at 17:25
The Duke of York offered to help US officials on "at least three occasions" in the inquiry into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, his lawyers say.
US authorities have previously accused Prince Andrew of not cooperating with the investigation.
But the duke's representatives suggested the US Department of Justice was seeking publicity rather than accepting the offer of help.
The duke has been heavily criticised for his friendship with Epstein.
He has previously said he did not witness any suspicious behaviour during visits to Epstein's homes.
Prince Andrew's legal team has hit back at allegations from the US prosecutor in charge of the investigation into Epstein that the duke had provided "zero co-operation" to the Department of Justice (DoJ).
In a statement, the legal team said: "The Duke of York has on at least three occasions this year offered his assistance as a witness to the DoJ.
"Unfortunately, the DoJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the duke has offered zero cooperation. In doing so, they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered."
Prince Andrew stepped away from royal duties last year following a widely-criticised BBC interview about his relationship with Epstein, who took his own life in a US jail cell in August, aged 66, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.