A BBC investigation has found that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received millions of pounds from the sale of his former Berkshire mansion through funds linked to a company later implicated in criminal corruption cases.
The buyer, Kazakh billionaire Timur Kulibayev, confirmed through his lawyers that he relied partly on a loan from a firm called Enviro Pacific Investments to purchase Sunninghill Park for £15 million. Italian prosecutors later concluded that Enviro Pacific had received money connected to a bribery scheme dating back to 2007.
The purchase of Sunninghill Park was completed just weeks after the final payments linked to the alleged corruption were made. Kulibayev reportedly paid significantly above the property’s asking price and market value. At the time, he was among the most powerful figures in Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sector and the son-in-law of then-president Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Kulibayev’s legal team insists that he has never engaged in bribery or corruption and maintains that all funds used in the transaction were lawful. They confirmed that the loan from Enviro Pacific was obtained on commercial terms and later repaid with interest.
The revelations raise concerns over whether the former prince may have unknowingly benefited from proceeds linked to corruption and whether sufficient due diligence was carried out before the sale. Financial crime experts note that several warning signs were present, including the buyer’s political connections, the use of offshore structures, the unusually high purchase price, and the lack of transparency around the buyer’s identity.
Sunninghill Park had been gifted to Andrew by Queen Elizabeth II in 1986. After failing to sell for several years, the property was eventually purchased in 2007 through an offshore company owned by Kulibayev. The transaction took place amid official UK concerns over widespread corruption in Kazakhstan, yet the buyer’s identity was not publicly disclosed at the time.
Italian court documents reviewed by the BBC show that Enviro Pacific was linked to another company, Aventall, which prosecutors said had been used to channel bribes tied to oil contracts. Although Kulibayev was not charged in Italy, one businessman involved in the scheme pleaded guilty. Prosecutors said they were unable to fully establish links between specific payments and public officials, leading to the case being dismissed.
There is no evidence that Andrew was aware of the origin of the funds used to buy the property. However, anti-corruption advocates and legal experts argue that the circumstances should have triggered enhanced checks under UK anti-money laundering rules.
The property remained vacant for years after the sale and was eventually demolished. A new mansion was later built on the site but has never been occupied.
Buckingham Palace, the former prince, and his legal advisers declined to comment. Calls have since been made by anti-corruption campaigners for further investigation, stressing that no individual should be exempt from scrutiny when there are credible concerns over the proceeds of crime.
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