EU's anti-fraud agency examining former British Cabinet secretary Mandelson case

BRUSSELS

The EU's anti-fraud agency confirmed to Anadolu on Thursday that it is examining information related to the case of former British Cabinet secretary and ex-UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson.

The European Anti-Fraud Office's media office (OLAF) said it is "currently looking into the matter," stressing that it cannot comment further at this stage.

OLAF underlined that examining information does not mean an investigation has been opened, noting that all information of potential investigative interest is first analyzed according to standard procedures.

A decision on whether to open an investigation is taken only after the initial assessment, it said, adding that the agency respects the presumption of innocence and the rights of defense of the persons and entities concerned.

The statement came two days after London's Metropolitan Police said Mandelson was released on bail following his arrest late Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Mandelson said he was detained after police were informed he was planning to leave the country, an allegation he denied, claiming officers intervened instead of allowing him to attend a voluntary interview.

The arrest stems from a criminal investigation into claims that Mandelson leaked government emails to convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019.

The revelations, which have already contributed to the resignations of senior aides to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have reignited scrutiny of Mandelson's past associations and drawn comparisons to some of Britain’s most damaging political scandals.

Mandelson's reported ties to Epstein have fueled a political crisis described by some commentators as the most serious since the Profumo affair of the early 1960s, which ended the career of Secretary of State for War John Profumo.

Mandelson, long dubbed a political "spin doctor" and the "Prince of Darkness" for his strategic prowess and backroom influence, saw his decades-long career end with recent resignations from the Labour Party and the House of Lords.

He became British ambassador to the US last February but was sacked in September after Downing Street said new information about the depth of his relationship with Epstein emerged.

The government said it expects to release the first documents relating to his appointment as envoy to the US in "early March."