Epstein file: Peter Mandelson, former UK ambassador to the US, arrested and released on bail
Mandelson, 72, had been removed last September from the UK's most prestigious diplomatic post after the depth of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein became more apparent
It was in the air. After the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was detained last week and later released, though still under investigation, on suspicion of 'misconduct in public office', attention had shifted to another heavy name in the British establishment. On Monday 23 February, it was the turn of Peter Mandelson, 72, a former Labour minister, a key figure in New Labour and former UK ambassador to the United States, who was arrested by the Metropolitan Police on the same charge as the former prince. The London police confirmed the arrest of 'a 72-year-old man' as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct in the exercise of public office, stating that the investigation is ongoing and that there are no formalised charges at the moment. The British police then released the former British minister and ambassador to the US on bail: 'A 72-year-old man, who was arrested on a charge of neglect of a public function, has been released on bail pending further investigation,' reads a police statement, in which the name of the person released is never specified. According to the Press Association, citing a police source, the man is Peter Mandelson.
The context is that of the so-called "Epstein files", the vast amount of documents released in the US between January and February and linked to the activities and relationships of Jeffrey Epstein, the paedophile financier who died by suicide in prison in 2019. Some of that material - emails, diaries, bank records and correspondence - was forwarded to British authorities after publication in the US. Downing Street confirmed that it had forwarded to the police communications between Mandelson and Epstein that were deemed worthy of further investigation.
The relationship between the two had already been known for years, but recently made public documents have provided new details. An official letter from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the US House of Representatives, released this month, states that among the materials examined are a handwritten dedication from 2003 in which Mandelson calls Epelson a 'best pal' and bank records that would indicate money transfers of more than $75,000 between 2003 and 2004. The letter, while not a criminal indictment, would, according to the Committee, warrant further clarification from the former ambassador.
Among the emails published by the US Department of Justice would then include exchanges from 2009 in which Mandelson's partner thanks Epstein for a money transfer received. Mandelson, in previous public statements, has maintained that he has no recollection of personal payments and has always denied wrongdoing, stating that he was deceived by Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal activities.
The central element of the UK investigation concerns the possible sharing of government information considered sensitive or confidential during Mandelson's time in ministerial positions. Investigators are examining whether some of the communications might incorporate the elements of 'misconduct in public office', a common law offence that requires proof of a serious and wilful abuse of public office. It has not been disclosed which specific information is being challenged or whether there has been any use of such data by third parties.
