Under official guidance, trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality regarding sensitive, commercial, or political information gained during official visits. The emails suggest that on 7 October 2010, Andrew sent Epstein details of upcoming official trips and, on 30 November, forwarded official visit reports from his special assistant Amit Patel just five minutes after receiving them.
In December 2010, Andrew told the BBC that he had cut ties with Epstein, yet on Christmas Eve that year he allegedly sent a confidential briefing on investment opportunities in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, overseen by the British armed forces and funded by the UK government. Epstein was already a convicted sex offender.
Sir Vince Cable, then business secretary, commented: “I was unaware of Andrew sharing information about investment opportunities [in Afghanistan]; this is the first I have heard of it.”
In February 2011, another email suggested Epstein might invest in a private equity firm Andrew had visited a week earlier.
Official trade envoy guidelines state that, while envoys “are not civil servants,” they carry a duty of confidentiality regarding information received, which continues after the term ends, and the Official Secrets Acts of 1911 and 1989 also apply.
Andrew has faced years of scrutiny over his friendship with Epstein and was stripped of his royal titles last October. He currently resides at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate while his new permanent home undergoes renovations.
