Prince Andrew giving ‘zero cooperation’ to FBI in Jeffrey Epstein probe

Prince Andrew has not cooperated with the FBI or US law enforcement in relation to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, despite previously stating he would be happy to speak to officials about his association with the convicted paedophile.

US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman revealed on Monday that prosecutors and the FBI have made contact with the Duke of York’s legal team in a bid to arrange an interview with the prince, however they have not yet received any response to their requests.

Berman gave a press conference just hours ago as he confirmed that the probe into Epstein – who committed suicide in his prison cell in August last year – is ongoing.

Speaking outside of the mansion where the financier once lived, Berman said: “The Southern District of New York and the FBI have contacted Prince Andrew’s attorneys and requested to interview Prince Andrew. And, to date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation.”

He added: “Jeffrey Epstein couldn’t have done what he did without the assistance of others, and I can assure you that the investigation is moving forward.’’

US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said Prince Andrew's lawyers had been contacted by prosecutors and the FBI, who requested to interview him as part of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation but that 'To date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation'.pic.twitter.com/WQ53QqHXqU

— JD Black🥀 (@_JD_Black) January 27, 2020

Berman’s comments come three months after Prince Andrew explicitly said that he would be willing to speak to law enforcement about his former friend, if called on to do so. He said in a statement at the time: “Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”

That official statement, in which the prince also announced that he would be stepping down from his role as a senior member of the royal family, was released just days after Andrew’s car-crash interview with BBC Newsnight reporter Emily Maitlis.

Andrew received heavy criticism for the sit-down chat, in which Maitlis raised the allegations made against him by one of Epstein’s accusers.

“One of Epstein’s accusers Virginia Roberts has made allegations against you,” Maitlis said. “She says she met you in 2001. She says you dined with you, danced with you at Tramp nightclub in London. She went on to have sex with you in a house in Belgravia, belonging to Ghislaine Maxwell, your friend. Your response?”

Andrew responded: “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady”.

Maitlis also pressed the prince on his decision to stay with Epstein at his New York home in 2010, two years after Epstein had been convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Describing his actions at the time as not “becoming of a member of the royal family”, he said: “That’s the bit that… as it were, I kick myself for on a daily basis because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the Royal Family and we try and uphold the highest standards and practices and I let the side down, simple as that.”

Epstein committed suicide in his jail cell in New York in August, where he was being held on sex trafficking charges brought in July. Epstein had been convicted in 2008 of procuring an underage girl for prostitution but prosecutors believed at the time that Epstein had sexually abused dozens of other teenage girls.

His death came just days after a lawsuit from one of his alleged victims was unsealed, naming Prince Andrew and more of his former high profile friends.