Lord Mandelson Released on Bail in Epstein-Linked Public Office Misconduct Probe
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that Lord Peter Mandelson, the former Labour minister, has been released on bail following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest is connected to allegations that he passed sensitive information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his tenure as business secretary.
Arrest and Investigation Details
According to a statement issued just after 2am on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “A 72-year-old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office has been released on bail pending further investigation. He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and was taken to a London police station for interview. This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas. We are not able to provide further information at this stage to prevent prejudicing the integrity of the investigation.”
Footage showed Lord Mandelson being led out of his Wiltshire home by a plain clothes police officer on Monday. Two of his properties were previously searched by police in connection with the allegations, which surfaced after the US Department of Justice released documents related to Epstein last month.
Emails and Allegations
As part of the so-called Epstein files, emails from 2009 appear to show Lord Mandelson passing on an assessment by Gordon Brown’s adviser of potential policy measures, including an “asset sales plan”. He also appeared to discuss a tax on bankers’ bonuses and confirm an imminent bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010. The emails were apparently sent to Epstein after he became a convicted sex offender.
It is understood the Crown Prosecution Service has yet to offer any early investigative advice regarding the allegations against Lord Mandelson. The Cabinet Office previously referred material to police after an initial review of the Epstein files suggested “safeguards were compromised”.
Political Fallout and Related Cases
Sir Keir Starmer is due to chair Cabinet on Tuesday amid the scandal involving his former US ambassador. The arrest came shortly after MPs were told that the first tranche of documents related to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador is expected to be released in early March. Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, said some correspondence between Downing Street and the peer will be delayed “because of the Metropolitan Police interest”. The Prime Minister previously stated that the files will prove Lord Mandelson lied during the vetting process before taking on the ambassador role.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats will seek to force the public release of files relating to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as a trade envoy, as the former prince also faces accusations of sharing sensitive information with Epstein while in the role. The Lib Dems will table a humble address in the Commons, the same mechanism used by the Tories to press for the release of files on Lord Mandelson’s appointment, to compel the Government to disclose information about Andrew, who served as a trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
Financial Links and Denials
Following the release of the Epstein files, Lord Mandelson said he has “no recollection” of receiving payments totalling 75,000 dollars (about £55,000) from Epstein between 2003 and 2004, as bank details in the documents indicated. Epstein is also said to have paid for an osteopathy course for Lord Mandelson’s husband, Reinaldo Avila Da Silva, in 2009, during the government’s handling of the financial crisis.
Lord Mandelson’s arrest comes days after Andrew was taken into custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The former prince was released under investigation. Despite being stripped of his title last year, the former duke of York is still eighth in line to the throne, and an Act of Parliament would be required to remove Andrew and prevent him from ever becoming king. The UK Government will consider introducing such legislation once police have finished their investigation into the King’s disgraced brother, according to the Press Association.
