Former duke of York Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has launched legal action against Thames Valley police over his arrest in connection with the Epstein files, Telegraph has reported.
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Telegraph → launch → files
According to the newspaper, Mountbatten-Windsor has lodged a judicial review challenging the lawfulness of search warrants that allowed police to raid his home at the Sandringham Estate and his former residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
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police → accord → Windsor
A high court judge has granted permission for the judicial review, with a private hearing scheduled later this week to decide whether certain court documents relating to the case should be released, Telegraph reported.
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Telegraph → grant → case
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February at Marsh Farm in Norfolk on his 66th birthday.
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Windsor → arrest → birthday
He was taken to Aylsham Police Station, where he was questioned for almost 12 hours on suspicion of misconduct in public office before being released under investigation.
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he → take → investigation
Police also searched Marsh Farm and Royal Lodge for several days, removing documents and other material as part of the investigation.
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Police → search → investigation
What is Andrew challenging?
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Andrew → challenge → What
The former royal's legal team is seeking to establish whether the search warrants were lawfully issued.
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warrants → seek → ?
The warrants were granted by an Old Bailey judge following an application by Thames Valley Police.
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warrants → grant → Police
The judicial review is the first known legal challenge by a member of the Royal family to the lawfulness of criminal proceedings against them since the trial of Charles I in 1649.
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review → know → 1649
The case stems from material released in the Epstein files that allegedly showed Mountbatten-Windsor sharing sensitive information with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK's trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
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Windsor → stem → 2001
The documents included reports about his visits to Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam and China, as well as a confidential briefing on investment opportunities in Afghanistan's Helmand province.
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documents → include → province
Investigation faces difficulties
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Investigation → face → difficulties
Mountbatten-Windsor is being investigated on suspicion of misconduct in public office, a complex common-law offence involving the abuse of public office for an improper advantage.
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Windsor → investigate → advantage
Telegraph reported that the investigation is facing difficulties after the US Department of Justice refused to hand over unredacted versions of the Epstein files.
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Department → report → files
A formal request for the material could take more than a year, with no guarantee that US authorities would comply.
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authorities → take → guarantee
In May, Thames Valley police said the investigation would also examine allegations of sexual misconduct and appealed for information.
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investigation → say → information
The arrest had drawn criticism from some former and serving police figures.
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arrest → draw → figures
One senior Metropolitan police source told Telegraph that they were surprised by the decision to arrest Mountbatten-Windsor at his home rather than invite him for questioning under caution.
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they → tell → caution
Buckingham Palace has previously said the King was not warned about the arrest.
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King → say → arrest
King Charles said at the time that “the law must take its course” and expressed concern over the allegations.
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law → say → allegations
Epstein ties and fallout
Mountbatten-Windsor has previously said he ended his friendship with Epstein in December 2010.
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he → say → December
However, emails released by the US Department of Justice showed that he contacted Epstein on Christmas Eve that year and sent him a confidential briefing about investment opportunities in Helmand.
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he → release → Helmand
Other emails showed he had forwarded official reports of his visits to Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Shenzhen to Epstein just minutes after receiving them from his special assistant.
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he → show → assistant
Telegraph also reported that Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein had discussed launching a business in China years after Epstein's conviction for a child sex offence and while Andrew was still serving as a trade envoy.
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Andrew → report → envoy
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