Former British ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, has been released on bail after being arrested in London on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid growing scrutiny over his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The 72-year-old former Labour powerbroker was taken into custody on Monday by officers from London’s Metropolitan Police as part of a criminal investigation launched earlier this month.
In a statement, the police confirmed the arrest, saying: “Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office.”
Authorities added: “He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and has been taken to a London police station for interview.”
Police said the arrest followed searches carried out at properties connected to Mandelson. “This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas,” the statement said.
Mandelson was filmed leaving his central London home accompanied by plainclothes officers wearing body cameras before being driven away for questioning. A later statement from police confirmed he had been released on bail pending further investigation. He was seen returning to his residence at about 0200 GMT on Tuesday.
Police emphasised that the arrest means investigators suspect a crime may have been committed but it does not imply guilt.
Mandelson’s lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The investigation follows the release in January of emails between Mandelson and Epstein by the US Department of Justice. The correspondence suggested a closer relationship between the two men than had previously been publicly known.
The messages indicated Mandelson shared information with Epstein while serving as a minister in the government of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009.
Mandelson has previously acknowledged the association, saying he “very deeply” regretted his connection with Epstein, though he has not publicly commented on the latest revelations.
Earlier this month, Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer and also stepped down from Britain’s House of Lords.
The controversy has grown into a significant political scandal in Britain. Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, remains at the centre of investigations into alleged links with several public figures.
The scandal has already forced the resignation of two senior government officials and intensified scrutiny of the government’s vetting process.
Starmer is facing increasing pressure over the decision to appoint Mandelson as ambassador to Washington in late 2024. Parliament has ordered the release of documents related to Mandelson’s vetting, with a government minister saying the first batch of documents is expected to be published in early March.
Starmer has previously said Mandelson lied about the extent of his ties to Epstein during the vetting process.
A conviction for misconduct in public office carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and is tried in the Crown Court, which handles the most serious criminal cases in the United Kingdom.
Mandelson has had a decades-long and often turbulent career in British politics. He rose to prominence in the 1990s as a key architect of the “New Labour” project under former prime minister Tony Blair.
However, he resigned twice from Blair’s cabinet—first in 1998 after failing to disclose a home loan from a colleague, and again in 2001 following allegations he attempted to influence a passport application.
He later returned to government in Brown’s cabinet between 2008 and 2010.
Mandelson re-entered public office when Starmer appointed him ambassador to the United States in 2024. Initially viewed as a strategic choice, the appointment helped secure an early diplomatic win when Britain became the first country to reach a tariff-reduction deal with the United States under President Donald Trump.
But he was dismissed only months later after documents surfaced revealing his close ties to Epstein.
The controversy has also widened to include other prominent figures. Last week, Prince Andrew, the younger brother of Charles III, was arrested on separate allegations that he sent confidential government documents to Epstein—claims he has consistently denied.
Investigations into Mandelson’s conduct remain ongoing.
Boluwatife Enome
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