London police units up probe into UK honours abuse allegations

Detectives from London’s Metropolitan Police have launched a felony investigation into how a Saudi donor to causes favoured by Prince Charles got here to obtain a British honour.

The pressure’s step is the most recent growth following revelations which in November prompted the resignation of Michael Fawcett as chief government of the Prince’s Basis, of which the prince is president. Fawcett had labored for the prince in numerous capacities for 4 a long time and was beforehand his senior valet.

The pressure mentioned in an announcement it had launched the investigation after receiving a letter in September in regards to the situation. Republic, an anti-monarchy group, has mentioned it wrote such a letter following experiences within the Sunday Occasions.

“This [letter] associated to media reporting alleging affords of assist had been made to safe honours and citizenship for a Saudi nationwide,” the pressure mentioned.

The Met’s announcement got here a day after Prince Andrew, Charles’ youthful brother, introduced he had reached a settlement over a lawsuit introduced by Virginia Giuffre, an accuser of Jeffrey Epstein. She had alleged Andrew sexually assaulted her when she was 17.

The Prince’s Basis in December introduced some findings of an unbiased report it commissioned into the honours allegations.

The report concluded there was proof that some communication occurred between Fawcett, then its chief government, and “fixers” relating to “honorary nominations for a donor” between 2014 and 2018, the muse mentioned.

Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, a Saudi nationwide, acquired an honorary CBE, a British honour, from Prince Charles in 2016. The CBE was offered in a non-public ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

“There is no such thing as a proof that trustees on the time had been conscious of those communications,” the muse mentioned in an announcement.

Any sale of honours is a criminal offense underneath a legislation handed almost a century in the past within the wake of abuses of the system underneath prime minister David Lloyd-George.

The Met mentioned it had launched an investigation into allegations of offences underneath the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.

The pressure mentioned its particular enquiry workforce assessed the September letter, a course of together with contacting these believed to carry related data.

The Met mentioned in December that it had been in contact with the muse, one in all a number of charities related to the prince.

“Officers liaised with The Prince’s Basis in regards to the findings of an unbiased investigation into fundraising practices,” the pressure mentioned. “The inspiration offered plenty of related paperwork.”

The paperwork had been reviewed alongside present data, the pressure added.

“The evaluation decided an investigation will start,” it mentioned, including there had been no arrests or interviews underneath warning.

Clarence Home, the prince’s official residence, reiterated its earlier assertion that the prince had no data of any alleged provide of honours or British citizenship — which Mahfouz subsequently acquired — on the premise of donation to his charities.

The Prince’s Basis mentioned it might be “inappropriate” to touch upon an ongoing investigation.

Neither Fawcett nor Mahfouz might be reached for remark. Mahfouz has beforehand denied any wrongdoing.