Its former ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, was arrested by London police on suspicion of abuse of public office.
News of Mandelson’s arrest at his home in Camden follows searches by the Metropolitan Police at properties in Wiltshire and north London earlier this month.
Police launched a criminal investigation on February 3 into the former Labor minister following allegations he passed market-sensitive government information to the convicted sex offender.
“Policemen proceeded to arrest a 72-year-old man on suspicion of abuse of public office. He has been taken to a London police station for questioning.”the Metropolitan Police said in a statement, without so far specifying the details of the alleged offense for which Mandelson was arrested.
Who is Lord Mandelson
Mandelson is one of Britain’s most prominent Labor politicians. He was the country’s ambassador to the US, former Minister of Trade & Industry, former EU Trade Commissioner. He denies any wrongdoing.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had appointed him as UK ambassador to Washington in December 2024, while he was already known to be on friendly terms with Epstein.
The 72-year-old was removed from the top diplomatic post in the British service in September after Downing Street announced that new information had emerged about their relationship.
At the same time, he quit the House of Lords after the release of documents in the US relating to Epstein raised new questions about his relationships. However, due to parliamentary procedure, it retains its title.
What does the charge of “Abuse of Public Office” mean?
The charge of “Misuse of Public Office” is a particularly complex legal offense in British law. Essentially, it is about an accusation that someone acting on behalf of the British public did something seriously wrong, knowing it to be wrong.
According to the BBC, in the police investigation, there are four key “elements” or factors that must be considered so that prosecutors can later decide whether to prosecute:
- Property of the civil servant: First, it must be determined whether the person being investigated was a “public official” and whether the incident reasonably fell within his duties.
- Premeditation or malice: Investigators then investigate whether the person willfully neglected their duties or engaged in willful misconduct. This concept has been the subject of long-standing legal debate due to its complexity.
- Abuse of trust: Next, it is examined whether the act was so serious that it constitutes “abuse of public trust”.
- Lack of justification or reasonable cause: Finally, if the previous three criteria are met, the police must assess whether the person acted ‘without reasonable excuse or justification’. This is crucial, as it is a fundamental principle of criminal justice that the suspect has the opportunity to present his side of the story – a process that begins the moment the police knock on his door.
Will the documents concerning him be published?
The Government will continue to consult with the police about which documents relating to Peter Mandelson can be made public, BBC News has reported.
Downing Street had previously pledged to release documents relating to Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.
Before his arrest, the government had consulted with authorities about which documents could be made public, with the first batch of documents expected to be released in early March.
It had previously been hinted that the arrest could affect that process. But the government still wants documents relating to Mandelsohn to be released, hoping they will support the prime minister’s claim that Mandelsohn “lied” during his assessment process.
