By Peter Omopo
The arrest of on Thursday has been linked to newly released documents connected to the late financier and convicted sex offender , with investigators suggesting the emails made public may represent only a fraction of the evidence under review.
Andrew was arrested at about 08:00 in connection with alleged misconduct in public office relating to his time as a UK trade envoy. The development is separate from previous allegations made by , which were resolved in 2022 through an out-of-court settlement that included no admission of wrongdoing.
The latest investigation was triggered by material contained in a large tranche of Epstein-related files released in January. Among the documents were emails that appeared to show correspondence between Andrew and Epstein after the latter had already been convicted and served time for sex offences.
One email dated November 2010 reportedly shows Andrew forwarding official country reports from a UK government-funded trip to Asia to Epstein within minutes of receiving them. A further exchange on Christmas Eve that year allegedly involved the sharing of confidential briefing material relating to investment opportunities in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, then under British military oversight.
Another email, dated February 2011, appeared to reference a private equity firm Andrew had visited, suggesting Epstein consider investing.
The revelations prompted involvement by , which has launched a full investigation. Detectives are believed to have sought additional documentation from government departments and Buckingham Palace. The palace has said it would “support” the police inquiry.
Investigators are also understood to be reviewing millions of documents contained in the Epstein files and have requested unredacted material from US authorities, including the FBI and the Department of Justice, with assistance from the National Crime Agency.
Police sources indicate that the arrest was unlikely to have been based solely on the few emails made public. Andrew was released under investigation later on Thursday evening after initial questioning and property searches. Being released under investigation does not preclude further interviews or potential charges.
A decision on whether to bring charges will rest on consultations between police and the Crown Prosecution Service. Should the case proceed to court, it would be formally titled R v Mountbatten-Windsor.
Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing in relation to his association with Epstein and has not publicly responded to specific questions regarding the latest file disclosures.
The investigation continues, with authorities indicating that what has been revealed so far may represent only the initial phase of a broader inquiry.
