Prince Andrew lands in Australia as the FBI continues to investigate his ties to Jeffrey Epstein
Prince Andrew has touched down in Australia on official business amid reports that more details about his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein could come to light during a probe by law enforcement agencies.
The Duke of York arrived in Western Australia on Monday evening, where he will attend a Pitch@Palace event for Australian entrepreneurs.
The Australian startups will take part in a bootcamp before an event at Murdoch University with the winners chosen to attend a global Pitch@Palace event in London.
Pitch@Palace is the Duke of York’s brainchild, designed to “amplify and accelerate the work of entrepreneurs” around the Commonwealth.
However, it appears that the Duke of York’s Australian trip is not marred without controversy.
The Sunday Times has reported that the FBI has expanded its investigation to identify alleged human trafficking victims of Epstein, who could provide information on the Duke.
“The US investigation is focusing on several potential victims in the hope that they can provide more details about Prince Andrew and his connection to the Epstein case,” according to sources from the US Department of Justice, which oversees the FBI.
The report quotes former head of royal protection at Scotland Yard, Dai Davies, whose said that a full investigation would be in Prince Andrew’s best interests.
“I would have thought it’s in Prince Andrew’s interests to clear this matter up,” Mr Davies, who headed Prince Andrew’s protection in the late 1990s, told The Sunday Times.
“Any residue of doubt or innuendo should be cleared up by a clear, unequivocal, structured investigation.”
Prince Andrew has denied all allegations against him as “false” and “without foundation”.
The probe is continuing after Epstein took his own life last month in a New York prison cell where he was detained on charges of sex trafficking teenage girls.