‘He has not been arrested and enquiries are ongoing,’ says Metropolitan Police
LONDON (AA)—Police said on Friday that they are carrying out searches at two properties linked to former UK minister Peter Mandelson over the Epstein investigation. Mandelson is one of many Western leaders who have been exposed through the release of the Epstein papers.
In a statement on Friday, the Metropolitan Police said that the force’s Central Specialist Crime team is in the process of carrying out search warrants at two addresses, one in the Wiltshire area, South West England, and another in the Camden area in London.
“The searches are related to an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office offences, involving a 72-year-old man,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Hayley Sewart noted.
Sewart added: “He has not been arrested and enquiries are ongoing.”
Earlier Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “sorry” for believing Mandelson’s “lies” and appointing him as ambassador to the US, as pressure continued to mount on him after he admitted to knowing about Mandelson’s ties with Epstein. However, in parliamentary questions Starmer was found wanting in explaining how Mandelson was appointed UK ambassador to the US despite the intelligence reports revealing the link between Epstein and Mandelson.
The searches came after the Metropolitan Police announced on Tuesday that they had launched a criminal investigation into Mandelson following claims that he leaked government emails to Epstein.
Earlier on Tuesday, the British government said it referred material to the police after an initial review of Mandelson’s emails to Epstein.
Emails released on Friday in the US revealed that Mandelson forwarded internal government information to Epstein while serving as business secretary in 2009.
Mandelson also stepped down from the House of Lords on Wednesday amid ongoing pressure over his links to Epstein.
The latest release of files also prompted Mandelson to resign on Sunday from the Labour Party.
The US Justice Department recently released more than three million pages, 2 000 videos, and 180 000 images related to Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law last November.
The materials include photos, grand jury transcripts, and investigative records, though many pages remain heavily redacted. Epstein survivors and victims’ relatives say the release falls short of what the law requires and omits much vital information.
Epstein was found dead by suicide in a New York City jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.