This week has been full of surprises for Prince Andrew and the people keen to protect him. For the past few months, royalists have been diligently minimizing Andrew’s decades of criminality and preparing the public for Andrew to get away with everything. Then, this week, the British government released a cache of documents related to Andrew’s time as a British trade envoy, and those documents do not paint a pretty picture of Andrew, his mother or the Labour government at the time (Tony Blair was prime minister at the time). Still, it’s been months since we heard anything about the police and prosecutors possibly building a case against Andrew following his February arrest on the Sandringham estate. Now it looks like investigators are broadening their scope, and investigating Andrew’s “alleged” trafficking crimes alongside his alleged financial and espionage crimes.

Police are probing claims of sexual misconduct allegedly carried out by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Cops have widened their inquiry into his ten years as UK trade envoy and are also assessing claims of fraud, corruption, bullying and perverting justice. The CPS may charge him with misconduct in public office, for stand-alone offences, or both.

The former prince was arrested at his Sandringham home on his 66th birthday, February 19, then released under investigation. Police urged alleged “victims and survivors” of his pal Jeffrey Epstein to talk to them. Thames Valley Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright’s appeal came as it emerged the force’s inquiry into Andrew’s time as trade envoy is now far wider in scope. Andrew’s arrest was initially believed to be focused on commercially-sensitive information he is alleged to have provided to Epstein.

Yesterday ACC Wright said: “There’s a number of aspects of alleged misconduct that the investigation is examining. We are speaking to a range of witnesses and want anyone with information to get in touch with us.”

Specifically addressing “victims and survivors” of Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking offences, the top cop said: “We really hope they will come forward . . . I really want to stress that our door is open.”

He said the investigation is “continuing at pace” with experienced and specialist officers working on the inquiry.

Sex crimes investigators and dedicated fraud and financial crime specialists are among the Operation Ironville team. Mr Wright described the inquiry as “complex”, adding: “It is not going to be a quick investigation by any means.”

Officers are in contact with the Royal Household and liaising with the Government’s business and trade department to which Andrew would have reported as the UK’s special trade envoy from 2001-11. The police team is also in touch with US legal authorities to obtain original Epstein Files material. More than three million documents and videos connected to the paedophile financier have been released by the US Justice Department since December. But it is understood UK police forces, including Thames Valley, have yet to receive any material.

Several women have alleged that Epstein provided them to Andrew for sex. The Epstein Files appeared to show Andrew passing on details relating to royal visits and investment opportunity briefings, and also putting in a good word for him while on an official trip. The widened police probe is examining other potential aspects of misconduct in public office, which carries a maximum life sentence. As well as sexual misconduct, fraud, corruption and financial impropriety, cops may also assess whether Andrew abused or bullied anyone under his care and supervision while trade envoy.

[From The Sun]

One of the things which the Epstein File documents made clear is that everything is connected. These criminal issues are not siloed – Andrew was using his position as Britain’s trade envoy to pass along classified information to Jeffrey Epstein and Epstein’s associates. As payment for this information, Epstein trafficked girls and women to Andrew. Was it always a cut-and-dry quid pro quo? No, but there’s enough documentation to prove a huge connection. Not just documentation from the Epstein Files, but the evidence gathered by Gordon Brown, who poured through flight records and private-airport data. Brown has also encouraged the authorities to investigate the credible trafficking claims by using any and all records of the trafficking victims being brought onto and into royal properties.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.