LONDON: The US has demanded that the UK's Prince Andrew be handed over to American police to be questioned about his links to late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to media reports. The US' Department of Justice (DoJ) has formally told the UK government that the Duke of York was now part of a criminal investigation, the Metro newspaper said in a report on Sunday.
The Duke, 60, has strongly denied any wrongdoing but has not faced questions from US prosecutors. Now, the US appears to have bypassed Buckingham Palace by filing a "mutual legal assistance" request to the Home Office last month, The Sun newspaper has claimed.
Such requests are only used in criminal cases under a legal treaty with the UK. That could force the Royal to appear as a witness in a UK court within months – either voluntarily, or by being summoned from the DoJ.
A source told The Sun: "It's a huge statement of intent from the US and it moves Andrew into the realms of a criminal investigation. It's also frankly a diplomatic nightmare."
A source close to the Duke's legal team told the Metro newspaper on Sunday evening: "Legal discussions with the DoJ are subject to strict confidentiality rules, as set out in their own guidelines. (IANS)
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