The Sun has learned that the Department of Justice formally requested to question Prince Andrew in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation last month under the terms of a 1994 “mutual legal assistance” (MLA) treaty. MLA “requests are only used in criminal cases under a legal treaty with the UK” meaning Prince Andrew “could now be forced to appear in a UK court as a witness within months,” according to The Sun.
Although the request from the United States puts the British royal family and the UK government in a difficult position, if the request is granted, “US prosecutors would have two options” reports The Sun:
The first, typically only used for witnesses to crimes, would see the Duke asked to voluntarily attend an interview and give a signed statement. Crucially, this would NOT be under oath. But sources say, angry American investigators – frustrated at what they see as a lack of cooperation from the Queen’s son to date – have the power to pursue an explosive second route. That would see Andrew asked to attend London’s City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court to provide oral or written evidence on oath. If he refused, the Duke could be forced to attend in person by summons, with DoJ lawyers able to quiz him.
Prince Andrew has admitted to being “pals” with Epstein since 1999 after Ghislaine Maxwell introduced the two, but “categorically denies” any wrongdoing with regard to Epstein’s sex trafficking network. Andrew has stayed at Epstein’s New York mansion, Palm Beach home and his private island in the US Virgin Islands, and was photographed with a young alleged victim at Maxwell’s London apartment in 2001. The woman, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, says Epstein trafficked her to have sex with Prince Andrew.
Giuffre has said of her evening with Andrew that he was “sweating profusely” all over her at a nightclub before going back to Maxwell’s where the photo was taken right before having sex with Andrew. In a pathetic attempt of self-defense, Prince Andrew told Newsnight he does not sweat due to a “peculiar medical condition.”
Giuffre says that was not the only sexual encounter with Prince Andrew. She alleges on a separate occasion, Epstein paid her roughly £300 to have sex with Andrew at Epstein’s New York home.
