Un document que Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor aurait transmis à Jeffrey Epstein contenait des informations détaillées sur des opportunités d’investissement dans l’or et l’uranium en Afghanistan.
Selon des éléments consultés par la BBC, il s’agit d’une note préparée par des responsables britanniques à l’intention d’Andrew lorsqu’il occupait la fonction d’envoyé spécial au commerce. Ce document, daté de décembre 2010, aurait ensuite été transféré à Epstein. Il présentait notamment une liste d’« opportunités commerciales à forte valeur » dans la province afghane du Helmand.
Cette révélation intervient après qu’un précédent article de la BBC a indiqué qu’Andrew avait lui-même qualifié le document de « confidentiel » dans un courriel figurant parmi les derniers fichiers liés à l’affaire Epstein rendus publics.
L’ancien prince a toujours fermement nié tout acte répréhensible dans ses relations avec Jeffrey Epstein. Il a également rejeté toute accusation selon laquelle il aurait utilisé son rôle d’envoyé commercial pour servir des intérêts personnels. Il a été sollicité pour réagir à ces nouvelles informations.
D’après les courriels examinés, Andrew aurait également transmis à Epstein des rapports officiels relatifs à ses déplacements à Singapour, Hong Kong et au Vietnam. Un message laisse entendre qu’après l’envoi de ces documents, un second lot de fichiers intitulé « Overseas bids » aurait été partagé. Ces fichiers compressés pourraient contenir plusieurs documents supplémentaires.
La note concernant l’Afghanistan avait été élaborée par des responsables britanniques dans le cadre des efforts de reconstruction dans la province du Helmand, à une période où le Royaume-Uni était fortement engagé sur les plans militaire et politique dans le pays.
Le document dresse un état des lieux de l’économie locale et met en avant des ressources naturelles importantes, notamment le marbre, l’or, l’iridium, l’uranium et le thorium, ainsi que des perspectives liées au pétrole et au gaz. Il évoque également un potentiel d’extraction à faible coût.
Les directives officielles précisent que les envoyés commerciaux sont soumis à une obligation de confidentialité concernant les informations sensibles, commerciales ou politiques recueillies lors de leurs missions.
Sir Vince Cable, alors secrétaire d’État au Commerce, a qualifié ce partage d’informations d’« inacceptable ». Il a par ailleurs affirmé avoir demandé à consulter à deux reprises le dossier relatif au rôle d’Andrew comme envoyé commercial, indiquant qu’il n’y aurait trouvé aucun contenu significatif. Il a rappelé que la fonction d’envoyé commercial avait été interrompue en 2011, après l’apparition des premières controverses liées à Epstein.
Le rôle d’un envoyé commercial consiste à promouvoir les intérêts économiques du Royaume-Uni à l’étranger et à encourager les investissements. Une source diplomatique a toutefois suggéré qu’un partage d’informations pouvait, dans certains cas, viser à attirer des investisseurs dans le cadre d’initiatives économiques internationales.
D’anciens responsables du commerce extérieur soulignent néanmoins que certains documents pouvaient contenir des informations stratégiques et n’étaient pas destinés à être diffusés en dehors des circuits gouvernementaux, encore moins à des acteurs susceptibles d’en tirer un avantage commercial.
Ces révélations s’ajoutent à la pression croissante exercée sur Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor concernant ses liens avec Jeffrey Epstein. Les récents documents publiés par les autorités américaines incluent également des photographies le montrant en compagnie d’une femme, sans qu’aucune conclusion officielle de faute n’ait été établie.
L’ancien prince fait face à des appels répétés pour témoigner aux États-Unis. Lundi, un porte-parole de Buckingham Palace a indiqué que le Roi se tenait prêt à coopérer avec les autorités dans le cadre des vérifications en cours concernant son frère.
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