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He’s already been released. Didn’t take long
No sweat
Hope the US is watching as only one person so far has been arrested.
Looking a tad moist
He’s already been released. Didn’t take long
Not unusual. they have a limited time to hold him before charging although a judge can extend this. Can't remember the time limits but a 12 hour detention for questioning under arrest the release is not unusual
Thames Valley Police has provided an update following Andrew leaving a police station following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
In a statement the force says: "Thames Valley Police is able to provide an update in relation to an investigation into the offence of misconduct in public office.
"On Thursday we arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
"The arrested man has now been released under investigation.
"We can also confirm that our searches in Norfolk have now concluded."
It is understood that police searches in Berkshire are still underway.
Thames Valley Police says it will not be making any further statements at this time.
On Thursday we arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Given how when Mandelsons properties were first searched the commentary was how hard that offence is to prove for anyone senior it seems doubly so for Andrews role and also what he got in return.
From what I vaguely understand its something which works best against junior people eg you hand me a brown envelope of fifty pound notes and I decide that small block of flats you want to build is fine then all the boxes are ticked. However once it becomes more abstracted eg you putting me up before, during and after or some future job prospects and me helping out with your request to flatten Luton and replace it with warehouses then it becomes messier. After all I could argue its in the countries interest Luton gets flattened and I suspect quite a few juries would agree. There is also not a direct link in terms of payments.
To take one of the Mandelson stories about how he got JPMorgan to try and get Darling to change his position on bankers bonuses. I could see a lawyer arguing along the lines of he thought it would damage the country and so asked for someone to back that up.
Looking a tad moist
Damn it, I was going to post that! Yeah, the photographer that got that shot have thought, "yep, that's the holiday paid for this year."
Depending on how cynical/tin foil hat you want to be it could be no coincidence they have arrested Andrew on a charge that is notoriously difficult to prove. They can go through this charade and then say he is innocent because no prosecution was achieved.
Charles can then say all is well and let his brother comeback into the fold.
I don't think Charles is that bothered about his brother as such, particularly when this has the chance to damage the monarchy.
I was chatting to a friend earlier about this. Charles is basically head of a large company that can't go bust and ensures that he and his children and his children's children etc etc will never know poverty and have the best healthcare and general privilege that money can buy. He'll protect that at all cost.
It really is a 'firm' in the truest sense and the only way it can ever fail is to end. He'll there his brother under the bus to avoid that in a heart beat.
The monarchy won't come to an end in my lifetime but it must be brought to an end. I hope this whole sorry episode hastens its demise.
The Monarchy has always been a 'firm'. We are lucky we can say what we want without getting deaded.
We did discuss an old fashioned departure for Andy at work, then said a GOT one would be more fun.
Death by starving Corgi ....
He’s already been released. Didn’t take long
I suspect he is well-advised (which is a shame) and has given a no comment interview. It doesn't mean he's off the hook by any means.
After seeing how the rich elites in the USA are most definitely above the law - it's a (little) reassuring to see that even a prominent member of the royal family in the UK can, and will, be held to account.
As the Epstein investigation identified how the rich use the poor as their cheap disposable toys. I'm hoping they find and identify other revelations from Andrew that will undermine be their positions.
Death by starving Corgi ...
The new house he's in must have some second storey windows. If he was in Russia , someone would have opened a couple for him and helped him to see the view well before now.
Looking a tad moistLooks like they may have gone for the full body search when they took him into custody. Can't trust these hardened criminals one bit.
After seeing how the rich elites in the USA are most definitely above the law - it's a (little) reassuring to see that even a prominent member of the royal family in the UK can, and will, be held to account
It would be nice. However Andrew is protected by the State Immunity Act 1978 and possibly sovereign immunity as he was still a working royal at the time of the alleged offences
Another entirely un-evidenced conspiracy theory I came up with while on the throne this morning....
....what if this is a shot over the bows to Nonce Andrew. Perhaps he was thinking of 'speaking his truth' again somehow, and this is the firms way of telling him to stfu?
....makes you think
I can imagine Prince William producing that photo of Andrew to his sons once they start feeling their oats. "Now boys, remember Uncle Andy..."
Plus it's a warning shot over the bows of any other royal with an, ahem, naughty streak.
I can imagine Prince William producing that photo of Andrew to his sons once they start feeling their oats. "Now boys, remember Uncle Andy..."
Plus it's a warning shot over the bows of any other royal with an, ahem, naughty streak.
Which ones don’t have a naughty streak? Charles and William are happy being slum landlords and billing taxpayers huge sums for renting land they somehow own. Both have been unfaithful. Charles has some very dubious friends in the Middle East who give him bags of cash and that’s before his relationship with Saville.
I can imagine Prince William producing that photo of Andrew to his sons once they start feeling their oats. "Now boys, remember Uncle Andy..."
Plus it's a warning shot over the bows of any other royal with an, ahem, naughty streak.
Which ones don’t have a naughty streak? Charles and William are happy being slum landlords and billing taxpayers huge sums for renting land they somehow own. Both have been unfaithful. Charles has some very dubious friends in the Middle East who give him bags of cash and that’s before his relationship with Saville.
I am far from being a monarchist nor a fan of the current and expected future occupants to the roles - but did I miss the William adultery story? Has anyone produced any evidence Charles was aware Saville was a sex predator - or was he simply part of the veil of credibility that saville used? Don’t play the “everyone knew” card because clearly not everyone knew - and whilst some people did seem to know and hint at it often in coded language rather than outright accusations. Once people start making these sort of claims without anything to support them my eyes tend to roll, as they sound conspiracy theory…
in E&W it is 24 hrs, but in all cases there should be regular reviews and you need a legitimate purpose to hold someone and deprive them, even temporarily, of their liberty. That’s as it should be - any one of us could be arrested tomorrow for an allegation and the custody sergeant needs to be convinced that there’s a legitimate reason to hold you. If the purpose is to interview you, then when they get to the end of the interview they either need to release you or have another reason to hold you. Despite the media frenzy it will likely be weeks or months before any decision is made on charging. Given who it is, the charging decision isn’t going to be made by some lowly trainee solicitor in the CPS! Even if it gets to a charge it doesn’t guarantee it will get to court or that a trial will ever actually happen - conspiracy theorists will of course claim any decision not to pursue it must be a sign of interference but cases get dropped multiple times a day for all sorts of reasons.He’s already been released. Didn’t take long
Not unusual. they have a limited time to hold him before charging although a judge can extend this. Can't remember the time limits but a 12 hour detention for questioning under arrest the release is not unusual
Re trial - I’m not sure it could go to trial by jury ?
ie when they swear in the jury, everyone knows who he is and the back story so makes it impossible to bring a ‘fair’ trial
im sure if it gets that far his defence lawyer will try that argument! That said there are plenty of high profile cases which go to juries. I’m not sure that in this case the average member of the public does know “the back story”. They know about the photo and the dodgy interview that he used to try and explain it away - but he not been arrested for that - it’s likely the accusations relate to the passing of government secrets to his friends. I doubt the average member of the public can explain what those secrets were, how they are shared or what impact sharing them had. Moreover the crown would need to show that his actions were improper - which might sound obvious but I really wouldn’t be surprised if the defence said, the whole reason his role existed was because he could/would get information to/from key financial market influencers! A properly instructed Jury would be told to ignore the media furore around the accused and what he may or may not have done but instead focus their minds purely on the evidence before them on the charge he is accused of. I think that is possible - although the current sensationalism in the press might be undermining that. Ironically they would love him to be convicted, but he’s likely to claim (if it gets that far) that its a witch hunt driven by the media which has caused the situation to be twisted against him.Re trial - I’m not sure it could go to trial by jury ?
ie when they swear in the jury, everyone knows who he is and the back story so makes it impossible to bring a ‘fair’ trial
but did I miss the William adultery story?
Yes. It was all over the European press as headline news but not published in the UK. I happened to be Italy at the time.
aka prince of pegging
Interesting that one of the first things to happen was his gun license going. Wouldn't want him to do an Epstein.
Fact is this arrest was for a very difficult charge to prove, and his role/powers as business envoy were apparently very vague. Wouldn't be at all surprised that the CPS don't proceed.
If nothing else, it buys time and possibly access to evidence related to the abuse claims, and with the other European investigations, it shows how poor the Americans have been.
My mate said it was next Wednesday !
Probably just as well that he’s been subjected to all that vigorous sex.
At that age, most of us would have succumbed to a heart attack, or at least a stroke, what with all the media attention.
If nothing else, it buys time and possibly access to evidence related to the abuse claims, and with the other European investigations, it shows how poor the Americans have been.
Eh? I don’t think the Americans have any power to arrest him for misconduct in public office… They’ve been asking to talk to him for some time.
The bit about America isn't really about Andrew, it is the fact no-one else has been brought to account for what has been going on...in Europe we seem to be making something of all this, whereas in America, nothing is happening and no-one seems to be under any pressure to do anything. A statement is released saying they were unaware and that is it...
Andrew is probably the most high profile person in this now and things are being pursued as more of this stuff gets released the more we are seeing what he has been doing and it quite rightly is being questioned as it all seems to be wrong.
Some crackers here
Sorry, but that is just utter shite.
It only gets worse. Really not good.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/andrew-accused-watching-girl-tortured-36746315
In Europe we seem to be making something of all this, whereas in America, nothing is happening
Let's not start the (consensual) Eurocirclejerk too soon. We are just at the start of a long road.
It only gets worse. Really not good.
Important distinction between the FBI alleging something and the FBI reporting that an anonymous person alleged something. There was a whole lot of nonsense allegations (some made by mistaken people, some made by hurt people, and some just trolling) were made in the course of Dolphin Sq, Pizzagate, Hampstead conspiracies etc.
Much as we hate Andrew (for many reasons), that doesn't mean that any or every allegation is true.
Much as we hate Andrew (for many reasons), that doesn't mean that any or every allegation is true.
Yep, just sensationalist news stories now under the guise of "it's been alleged that...." or "a source close to the investigation reported that..."
Pretty much allows the papers free rein to print whatever bollocks they want with limited comeback.
Still, they built the Royal Family up and the papers love nothing more than building someone up then tearing them down again. The period of detente that seemed to exist after Diana and then the Leveson Inquiry seems to be well and truly over.
The period of detente that seemed to exist after Diana and then the Leveson Inquiry seems to be well and truly over.
Off topic, but largely because they bottled Leveson Pt2
I see William used this as cover to go and see the dark lords of the Middle East for reasons not explained