England's High Court has ruled that the warrants used by police to search the homes of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in February were unlawful. The ruling concerns the legal basis for the searches, not the ongoing criminal investigation into the former prince.
The court has ruled that items seized in the searches can remain in the police's custody. The question of whether the materials will be used and on what grounds will be considered at a separate hearing next year. The decision does not mean that the investigation has been closed or that all actions in it are illegal.
Investigation launched after US documents
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on February 19 on suspicion of abuse of public office. The arrest followed the publication of documents by the US Department of Justice that raised questions about whether he passed confidential information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The period in question is from 2010, when Mountbatten-Windsor was Britain's trade envoy to the US. The information is suspected to have been related to his official duties. He denies the allegations.
After his arrest, police searched two properties linked to him. The legality of the warrants is the subject of a separate High Court case.
Police: Investigation continues
A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: “The settlement which led to the arrest warrants being quashed relates specifically to a decision made by the court on the legal basis for them and is not a decision on our ongoing investigation.“
The police added that their investigation into alleged misconduct by a 60-year-old man from Norfolk was ongoing. “We continue to use all reasonable means to investigate effectively and fairly“, the spokesman said.
The court's ruling on the unlawful search warrants does not end the criminal investigation. The next important procedural step will be the separate hearing on the seized items in 2027.
Sources: focus-news.net, apnews.com, news.sky.com