Some Royal Air Force (RAF) flight records linked to notorious American financier Jeffrey Epstein have disappeared due to their retention period expiring, The Times reports.
The previous day, the Telegraph reported that King Charles III's brother, the former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, may have flown to meetings with the American on British military aircraft.
„Three months ago, the Metropolitan Police launched a reinvestigation into allegations of human trafficking linked to Jeffrey Epstein, but detectives were warned that some evidence had been destroyed. Some flights date back two decades, but the Royal Air Force only keeps passenger lists for three months, after which they are destroyed,” the article said.
The newspaper stressed that while law enforcement can collect statements from airport staff and other potential witnesses, the current data destruction policy would significantly complicate both identifying individuals associated with Epstein who arrived in the UK and establishing the dates of their visits.
The article also noted that passenger lists on commercial airlines in the country are typically kept for six to seven years.
Andrew has been at the center of a high-profile scandal in recent years. In 2019, human rights activist Virginia Giuffre accused him of rape. In March 2022, the media reported that the former prince had paid her compensation and the case had been dropped. However, he himself had not admitted guilt.
In April 2025, the activist was found dead in her home in Western Australia. In October of the same year, her posthumous memoirs were published, stating that one of her sexual encounters with the brother of the British king took place on Epstein's private island.
The latest files published in the financier's case also contain references to Andrew, including compromising photos of him.
In addition, they contain information that the former prince secretly sent government documents to Epstein. According to media reports, British police have set up a unit to investigate the allegations against Andrew, with nine agencies already involved.
In early December last year, King Charles III stripped his brother of all titles.