[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 27th (local time), the U.S. federal prosecutors revealed that Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom has not cooperated at all in the investigation of American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's sexual crimes against minors.
According to The New York Times (NYT) and others, Jeffrey Berman, the federal prosecutor in Manhattan, New York, who is investigating Epstein's sex crime case, said in front of Epstein's Manhattan mansion that they had been trying to arrange an interview with Prince Andrew regarding the Epstein case, but he has not cooperated at all.
Prosecutor Berman usually does not comment on ongoing investigations, but he added that he thought it was "fair" for the public to know that Prince Andrew is not keeping his promises.
Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, is himself embroiled in allegations of sexual misconduct related to the minor sex crime case. He is accused of having sexual relations with teenage girls arranged by Epstein in London, New York, and other places between 2001 and 2002. Prince Andrew has completely denied these allegations. At the end of last year, Prince Andrew expressed willingness to cooperate with the investigation, stating, "If necessary, I am willing to assist the appropriate law enforcement agencies regarding the investigation."
The NYT reported, "It is unclear whether investigators have conveyed the interview request to Prince Andrew," adding, "Generally, when U.S. prosecutors want to speak with British witnesses, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) proceeds through the legal attach? at the U.S. Embassy in London."
Epstein, a former hedge fund manager, was arrested in July last year on charges of committing sex crimes against dozens of victims, including trafficking more than 20 minors for prostitution in New York and Florida from 2002 to 2005. He committed suicide in prison in August of the same year while awaiting trial.
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