PRINCE Andrew must “of course” help the FBI with the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Sir Keir Starrmer has said.
The Labour leader today urged the royal to cooperate after the US Justice Department made an official request to question him as a witness about Epstein.
Officials at the FBI wants to speak with Prince Andrew, who had been photographed with both Epstein and Maxwell.
Speaking on LBC, Sir Keir was asked if he would give US authorities access to Prince Andrew if he were Prime Minister.
He said: “The American authorities do approach the British authorities all the time, that happened throughout my five-year term as Director of Public Prosecutions, and we always cooperated.
“We strongly cooperate with other countries around the world and we would have cooperated on any issue where they said this is the cooperation that we need.”
Asked if the royal should cooperate, he replied: “Of course he should cooperate with the US”.
He was then asked if he was disappointed Prince Andrew had not spoken to them yet.
Sir Keir answered: “Well, he will have to justify his own actions.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, you cooperate with the law enforcement authorities when they require you to do so.”
Last week Maxwell appeared in via video link in court accused of grooming and abusing girls as young as 14 for Epstein.
She denies any wrongdoing.
The British socialite’s arrest comes almost a year after Epstein was arrested and then killed himself in prison in mysterious circumstances.
Her friendship with Prince Andrew, 60, has been under scrutiny since the start of the Epstein scandal.
Boris Johnson had previously said the the law “must be carried out” but insisted it is a “matter for the Royal Family”.
The Prime Minister said last week: “Obviously everyone’s sympathies are with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, but you would not expect me to comment on matters affecting the Royal Family.
“No such approach has been made [by US to Government for interview]. Otherwise it really is a matter for the Royal Family.”
But he added: “The law must be observed.”
Maxwell introduced Andrew to Epstein in 1999 while she was dating the US billionaire.
She was a guest at Windsor Castle for Andrew’s 40th birthday party thrown by the Queen.
Maxwell even attended Beatrice’s 18th bash at Windsor Castle and a shooting party at Sandringham thrown by Andrew for her birthday.
The Duke of York has been accused of sleeping with sex slave Virginia Giuffre Roberts three times when she was just a teenager.
Ms Roberts claims she met Andrew on a trip to London with Maxwell and Epstein in 2001 at Maxwell’s house.
The US prosecution’s case against Maxwell does not involve Prince Andrew, who has furthermore denied the claims of Ms Roberts.
Last month, the US officially demanded Britain hand over Prince Andrew to be quizzed over his links to billionaire paedophile pal Epstein.
