British police search the former home of King Charles’s brother after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.
SANDRINGHAM: British police were searching the former mansion of King Charles’s younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on Friday. The operation followed his dramatic arrest on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.
The former prince was detained for over 10 hours on Thursday, his 66th birthday, before being released under investigation. He has not been charged with any offence.
The arrest relates to allegations he sent confidential government documents to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy. Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.
READ MORE: King Charles’ brother Andrew arrested over misconduct relating to Epstein
A Reuters photograph of the royal emerging from a police station was splashed on front pages worldwide. The image showed him slumped in the back of a vehicle with red eyes and a look of disbelief.
King Charles said he learned of the arrest with “deepest concern”. He stated clearly that “the law must take its course” through a full and proper investigation.
The arrest of a senior royal, eighth in line to the throne, is unprecedented in modern British history. Police searches concluded at his current home on the Sandringham estate but continued at his former Windsor mansion.
The case centres on US government files suggesting Mountbatten-Windsor forwarded official reports on investment opportunities to Epstein. These included assessments of Afghanistan, Vietnam and Singapore.
Epstein was a convicted sex offender who died by suicide in 2019. Mountbatten-Windsor has said he regrets their friendship, which documents show continued long after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
A conviction for misconduct in a public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The case would be heard in a Crown Court, which handles the most serious criminal offences.
