Mandelson's Legal Team Challenges Police Arrest Justification
Lawyers representing former Labour peer Peter Mandelson have vehemently denied police claims that he was arrested due to being a flight risk, labeling the allegations as completely baseless. The Metropolitan Police detained Mandelson on Monday under suspicion of misconduct in public office, releasing him later that same evening after approximately eight hours of questioning.
Flight Risk Allegations Disputed
Sky News understands that police arrested the 72-year-old former British ambassador to the United States because they had received information suggesting he was preparing to flee the United Kingdom for the British Virgin Islands. However, Mandelson's legal representatives at Mishcon de Rey have strongly contested this justification.
The law firm stated: "Peter Mandelson was arrested yesterday despite an agreement with the police that he would attend an interview next month on a voluntary basis. The arrest was prompted by a baseless suggestion that he was planning to leave the country and take up permanent residence abroad. There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in any such suggestion."
Changed Police Approach
Originally, authorities had planned to interview Mandelson under caution without arrest in a fortnight's time. However, the investigation timeline shifted as police found that examining devices obtained from searches of his two homes in Camden, north London, and Wiltshire was proving exceptionally time-consuming.
After conducting a series of interviews regarding the flight risk claims, police decided they needed to arrest Mandelson this week rather than wait for the scheduled voluntary interview. Mandelson was subsequently bailed in the early hours of Tuesday morning, though it remains unclear whether he had to surrender his passport, which is typically a condition of bail in such cases.
Background Context
Mandelson was dismissed from his position as ambassador in September following revelations about his continued contact with disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The former peer then resigned from the House of Lords in early February amid mounting public and political scrutiny after the U.S. Department of Justice published additional Epstein files last month.
Mandelson has consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout the investigation. His legal team emphasized: "We have asked the Metropolitan Police Service for the evidence relied upon to justify the arrest. Peter Mandelson's overriding priority is to cooperate with the police investigation, as he has done throughout this process, and to clear his name."
The case continues to develop as both legal teams and law enforcement navigate the complex allegations and investigation procedures surrounding the former high-profile political figure.
