PRINCE Andrew is said to be “utterly bewildered” by claims he has refused to co-operate with investigators probing the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The under-fire royal is now locked in a “Mexican standoff” with prosecutors in the US, his friends have revealed. Prosecutor Geoffrey Berman has claimed Andrew has “repeatedly declined” a request to be interviewed. […]
PRINCE Andrew is said to be “utterly bewildered” by claims he has refused to co-operate with investigators probing the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
The under-fire royal is now locked in a “Mexican standoff” with prosecutors in the US, his friends have revealed.
Prosecutor Geoffrey Berman has claimed Andrew has “repeatedly declined” a request to be interviewed.
However, lawyers for the Duke of York, 60, insist he has offered to give a witness statement to investigators.
Andrew is facing ongoing scrutiny over his links to convicted sex offender Epstein, who was at the centre of a web of sex trafficking and abuse before killing himself in jail last August.
However, friends of the duke have said they have been left baffled by claims he refused to cooperate with the ongoing probe.
One reportedly described the deadlock as a “Mexican standoff”.
They told the Daily Mail: “What really happened was the ball was left in the duke’s court to work out the modus operandi [of how to offer evidence] when the US prosecutor suddenly made his statement about ‘zero cooperation’, which came out of the blue.
“The duke is totally committed to trying to cooperate, but the Americans have breached their own rules on confidentiality.
“We were utterly bewildered by Berman’s statement.”
Andrew – who denies any wrongdoing – is not accused of any crime and would be a witness not a suspect in the FBI’s ongoing inquiry.
On Tuesday we reported how sources had claimed the prince will not get behind the investigation as he believes Berman wants to “make an example of him”.
His team reportedly fear the lawyer wants to turn him into a “scapegoat” for the failures of the case – and sources said it’s now “virtually impossible” for him to cooperate.
It comes amid a back and forth between Andrew‘s team and Mr Berman as the Royal insisted he had offered to assist in the investigation three times.
Mr Berman however issued a statement which accused the Prince of “falsely portraying himself to the public as eager and willing to co-operate”.
The Duke has always denied any improper behaviour over his relationship with Epstein, and strongly denies allegations he slept with sex slave Virginia Roberts when she was 17.
Sources have claimed Andrew may never cooperate with the probe while Mr Berman is in charge, reported the Telegraph.
Andrew is claimed to have been first contacted by authorities in January, despite Epstein being investigated for 16 years.
Mr Berman previously claimed the Duke has offered “zero cooperation” back in January, and then said the Royal had “completely shut the door” on the probe in March.
Lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents some of Epstein’s victims, told BBC’s Newsnight: “Justice delayed is justice denied and he needs to stop playing a cat and mouse game with the United States Department of Justice.
“He needs to stop delaying and trying to evade answering questions and he should not be setting any conditions, if in fact that’s what he’s doing.”
Blackfords LLP acting for the royal said: “The Duke of York has on at least three occasions this year offered his assistance as a witness to the DOJ.
“Unfortunately, the DOJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the Duke has offered zero cooperation.
“In doing so, they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered.”
