Police in London have released former British ambassador, Peter Mandelson, on bail as investigations continue into his alleged links to disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The development comes just days after ex-prince Andrew was detained in a separate but related inquiry.
Mandelson, a prominent figure in UK politics and the country’s former envoy to Washington, DC, was arrested at about 1700 GMT on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The arrest followed fresh allegations stemming from newly released documents connected to Epstein.
“A 72-year-old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office has been released on bail pending further investigation,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement issued roughly nine hours after he was taken to an undisclosed police station in London.
Television footage broadcast in the UK appeared to show Mandelson, 72, leaving his north London residence in a vehicle accompanied by a man and a woman. Police had earlier conducted searches at his properties this month.
The arrest follows the detention of Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III. Andrew was held on Thursday and later released under investigation in a separate misconduct in public office probe also linked to the latest Epstein disclosures.
Mandelson is under investigation over claims that he shared sensitive documents with the late US paedophile and convicted sex offender while serving as a government minister, including during the 2008 financial crisis. Authorities have not detailed the specific documents under review.
The veteran politician was dismissed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer from his role as ambassador to Washington in September after earlier Epstein-related documents highlighted the depth of their association.
His appointment had already triggered political controversy, leading to the resignation of two senior aides to Starmer. The prime minister later apologised to Epstein’s victims for appointing Mandelson and accused him of misleading officials about the extent of his relationship with the financier during the vetting process.
Law firm Mishcon de Reya, acting on Mandelson’s behalf, said earlier this month that he “regrets, and will regret until his dying day, that he believed Epstein’s lies about his criminality”.
“Lord Mandelson did not discover the truth about Epstein until after his death in 2019,” the statement added.
“He is profoundly sorry that powerless and vulnerable women and girls were not given the protection they deserved.”
The government is preparing to publish tens of thousands of emails, messages and documents related to Mandelson’s vetting, a move expected to intensify scrutiny on the prime minister and senior officials.
Cabinet Office minister Darren Jones said on Monday that the first batch of documents concerning Mandelson’s appointment would be released in early March.
Starmer has resisted calls to step down after acknowledging that he was aware of Mandelson’s continued association with Epstein, which appeared to persist even after the financier’s 2008 conviction for child prostitution.
Mandelson, who previously served as a European Union trade commissioner, resigned from the unelected upper chamber of parliament, the House of Lords, earlier this month.
The advisory firm he co-founded, Global Counsel, recently halted operations and appointed administrators in an effort to preserve assets amid mounting financial strain.
According to media reports, several high-profile clients — including Barclays, Tesco and Premier League — have severed ties with the firm in recent weeks.
Police confirmed that officers from the Met’s specialist crime team executed search warrants earlier this month at two addresses linked to Mandelson, one in Wiltshire in western England and another in London.
