London police have released former UK ambassador and senior politician Peter Mandelson on bail as investigations continue into his links with late US financier Jeffrey Epstein. He was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, days after ex-prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was detained in a related case.
The Metropolitan Police said in a brief statement that a 72 year old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office had been released on bail pending further inquiries. Mandelson, 72, was picked up around 1700 GMT and taken to an unnamed London police station after searches of his homes in London and Wiltshire earlier in the month.
Television footage showed him being driven away from his north London residence accompanied by two people as officers continued their inquiries. His arrest follows the release of new documents connected to Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Police are examining allegations that Mandelson sent sensitive government documents to Epstein while serving as a minister, including during the 2008 global financial crisis. Investigators have not publicly identified which documents are under review.
Mandelson was dismissed in September as the UK’s envoy to Washington by Prime Minister Keir Starmer after earlier Epstein files revealed the depth of their friendship. The appointment had already sparked a political backlash and triggered the resignation of two senior aides in Starmer’s team.
Starmer has apologised to Epstein’s victims for naming Mandelson as ambassador and accused him of misleading officials about the extent of his contact with the disgraced financier during security vetting. The government now plans to release tens of thousands of emails, messages and other records linked to Mandelson’s vetting, a move that could increase pressure on the prime minister.
Government minister Darren Jones said the first batch of these documents will be published in early March. Starmer has already faced calls to resign after admitting he knew Mandelson remained in touch with Epstein even after his 2008 conviction for child prostitution offences.
Mandelson’s lawyers at Mishcon de Reya said earlier that he deeply regrets having believed Epstein’s claims about his criminal record. They added that he did not learn the full truth about Epstein’s crimes until after his death in 2019 and that he is sorry that vulnerable women and girls were not protected.
The scandal has also shaken Mandelson’s business activities. He recently resigned from the House of Lords and his advisory firm, Global Counsel, has stopped trading and gone into administration, with major clients such as Barclays, Tesco and the English Premier League cutting ties.
Officers from the Met’s specialist crime unit have searched two of his properties as part of the ongoing inquiry. In a parallel investigation tied to the latest Epstein disclosures, ex-prince Andrew was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office and later released under investigation.
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