U.S. Department of Justice summons Prince Andrew to be rejected
[Global Times comprehensive report] Epstein case "second round", Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom vs. the United States Department of Justice! Although the American pedophile billionaire Epstein was killed in prison, the victim's accountability against him did not end there. As a potential witness in related cases, Prince Andrew, who was caught in a scandal due to inadvertent dating, has been "snow hidden" by the British royal family, but has recently been repeatedly asked by the US prosecutor to testify. The two sides held different opinions on the progress of the case a few days ago, and a fierce verbal conflict broke out. In the opinion of the British media, the US judicial department has taken extraordinary measures to drag a member of the British royal family into a criminal investigation, or it will lead to a "diplomatic crisis" between the two countries.
According to British media reviews, Prince Andrew was plunged into a quagmire in 2019 due to the "Epstein sex scandal"-US billionaire Epstein was suspected of having sex with multiple underage girls before committing suicide in prison last August. The accused organization of underage girls provides sexual services for politicians and celebrities. Andrew has been very close to him and was photographed in and out of his "fornication mansion". After the incident was exposed, Andrew accepted an interview with the media. Unexpectedly, not only did he fail to "whitewash", but also almost lost his reputation because of an improper response, he had to resign from the public position as a senior royal member, and he has since been a low-key person. Regarding the follow-up investigation of the Epstein case, Prince Andrew once said in public that he would "help."
However, according to CNN reported on the 9th, U.S. District Attorney Berman, who led the investigation of the Epstein case, publicly accused Prince Andrew of "uncooperating" twice in January and March of this year. Intensive remarks such as "zero degree of cooperation" and "rejecting the US side completely" have been made.
In response, Prince Andrew's acting lawyer and London criminal justice expert Blackford issued a two-page statement on the 8th, vigorously attacking the U.S. prosecutors and accusing the latter of "misleading the public." According to the British "Guardian" report, the statement will be directed at the United States Department of Justice: "His Royal Highness Prince Duke of York at least three times this year actively provided assistance to the United States Department of Justice. The agency not only broke the principle of confidentiality, but also made the matter public. , Also claimed that the prince failed to provide cooperation."
The Andrew side also accused that the US actions were not really for seeking assistance, but only for creating "gimmicks" and attracting public attention; the series of remarks made by the US prosecutors not only had errors, but they should not be published. The statement also stated that the principle of confidentiality formulated by the US Department of Justice was intended to encourage witnesses to cooperate with the investigation. Now the agency’s practice of breaking its own principles is regrettable.
Later on the 8th, US prosecutor Berman responded to Andrew's statement with a "needle tip to wheatgrass". He said that the Andrew team's rhetoric was nothing more than another attempt to create the illusion of "eager to cooperate with the investigation". In fact, the prince repeatedly refused the US judicial department's invitation to interview. This deadlock has never changed in the past four months. The statement also added that if Prince Andrew really has the sincerity to cooperate with the federal judicial investigation in the United States, "our door is always open to him." In the view of the New York Times in the United States, Berman said that in this part, it is no different from arguing that Prince Andrew is a "liar."
The sudden escalation of the conflict between "Prince Andrew VS US Prosecutor" is probably due to an unusual "summoning" method recently adopted by the US Department of Justice. According to the British "Sun" reported on the 8th, the US Department of Justice recently contacted the British Ministry of the Interior and applied for the launch of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty signed by the two countries in 1994, forcing Prince Andrew from behind the scenes to the front. Prior to this, Prince Andrew was only involved in civil liability in the Epstein case, and the move of the US Department of Justice was equivalent to pulling him into a criminal case, which greatly increased the severity of the situation-"mutual legal assistance" The Treaty is usually only applied to the investigation and trial of transnational criminal cases.
"The Sun" quoted analysts as saying that the United States' "summoning the royal family" is a big deal, and it is bound to make the British government feel "very difficult"-"To put it bluntly, this is a diplomatic nightmare." If the British Home Office approves the request from the US Department of Justice, Prince Andrew may face two consequences: one is to meet with the prosecutor in person at the previous request of the US prosecutor and provide testimony; if he still does not cooperate , It may be summoned to appear in court and be interrogated by the staff of the US Department of Justice, and the entire process will also be recorded by the court, which will undoubtedly have a worse impact on the reputation of the British royal family.
Another American legal expert pointed out that Andrew’s current situation is very dangerous: in an interview with the BBC, which was like a "disaster" in November last year, he revealed too many details about the various situations in which he was involved; once With new evidence surfaced, he may be difficult to justify himself and may be held liable for "false statements" and other acts. The British "Daily Mail" said that Prince Andrew is still facing charges of "sexual assault on minor girls": Jeffrey, a 36-year-old woman in the United States, accused Andrew of having sexual relations with her three times, of which two of them were still less than 18 year old.
The US "New York Post" published an editorial on the 8th, saying that since Andrew "fully denies" any crime, he should come forward to answer the question positively.