Khaberni - The relationship of the former Duke of York with the late American businessman and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to be a headache for Britain and the royal family.
Over the years, the British royal family has been plagued by scandals linked to the former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, but the crisis has intensified in recent months, prompting King Charles to strip his younger brother of his royal titles.
Throughout the recent period, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has remained silent and has not criticized the former prince, adhering to the protocol which stipulates that the government does not criticize the royal family.
However, after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's decision to renounce his remaining titles last month, Starmer has now suggested that he should speak openly about what he knows regarding Epstein's contacts and behavior, according to the British newspaper "Telegraph".
The former prince had been summoned by US Congress members to testify about his relationship with the financier accused of child molestation before the publication of the "Epstein files".
When journalists accompanying him at the G20 summit in Johannesburg asked whether Mountbatten-Windsor should appear in court, Starmer said he would not comment on "his own case" and "ultimately, the decision is up to him" but he added, "My general stance is that if you have relevant information, you should be prepared to share it".
The congressional committee investigating the Epstein case does not have the authority to force foreign witnesses to attend, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ignored the committee's request to appear before them, even missing the deadline to respond to his official summon last week.
The Oversight Committee in the US House of Representatives had requested the former prince's presence for an interview about his relationship with Epstein, as part of Congress's attempt to uncover more of the late businessman’s contacts.
The letter stated, "The allegations directed at you, along with your long-standing friendship with Epstein, suggest that you might be aware of his activities."
Suhas Subramaniam, a Democratic member of the American committee, said Andrew "has been hiding from us, and I believe he will continue trying to hide from those conducting serious investigations into this case."
A few days ago, US President Donald Trump signed a bill requiring the Department of Justice to disclose a batch of Epstein's emails within 30 days, with some exceptions.
Trump had earlier resisted publishing the emails, describing efforts to reveal them as a "hoax" led by Democrats to distract from his work, but he changed his mind due to strong opposition from Republicans in Congress and Epstein's victims.
