Prince Andrew’s aide must release letter to…
Prince Andrew simply can’t appear to keep away from drama.
The disgraced Duke of York’s hyperlinks to a suspected Chinese spy have been introduced up in court docket after a choose ruled that a letter of assist from the duke’s aide must be launched, The Times stories.
Dominic Hampshire, Andrew’s former staffer, has been ordered to hand over a letter he wrote in assist of Yang Tengbo — the previous working royal’s business adviser who has been accused of being a Chinese spy.
Prince Andrew’s hyperlinks to a suspected Chinese spy have been introduced up in court docket after a choose ruled that a letter of assist from the duke’s aide must be launched. Shutterstock
The letter was written by Hampshire after Tengbo appealed to re-enter the UK following his ban due to his close relationship with Andrew.
Judge Charles Bourne has additionally ruled that Andrew’s business hyperlinks to Tengbo even be disclosed, on condition that the duke was beforehand warned that the 50-year-old was a suspected spy, the court docket heard.
The paperwork must be disclosed by April 4 except any occasion applies for judicial review of the judgment by March 28, the outlet provides.
Hampshire tried to block the letter’s release, saying it incorporates “highly private, confidential and commercially sensitive information,” the court docket heard.
Yang Tengbo, Prince Andrew’s former business adviser, has been accused of being a Chinese spy. YouTube/@PitchAtPalace
The assertion included particulars “about Mr Hampshire’s work with the duke which might seem embarrassing or indiscreet, but they are not such as to give rise to the inference that a legal duty of confidentiality attaches to them,” Judge Bourne mentioned.
Documents additionally contained details about Andrew that have been already within the public area, together with “the negative impact of the duke’s 2019 Newsnight interview.”
“Substantial parts of the witness statement contain material which cannot possibly be said to be confidential,” Judge Bourne mentioned, including that two phrases within the assertion needs to be redacted as they “contain information which must have been imparted to Mr Hampshire on the basis that it would be kept strictly confidential.”
Dominic Hampshire, Andrew’s former staffer, has been ordered to hand over a letter he wrote in assist of Tengbo.
“There is a substantial public interest in reporting of international trading activity involving UK companies and in any involvement of any member of the royal family in that activity,” he added.
The court docket heard that Hampshire instructed Tengbo in 2021 that he may act on Andrew’s behalf in engagements with potential buyers in China.
“I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family. You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship … Outside of [the prince’s] closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on,” he wrote in a letter on the time.
Tengbo had been banned from the UK due to his close relationship with Andrew. UK Press by way of Getty Images
Tengbo, for his half, mentioned the allegations in opposition to him are “entirely unfounded.”
As a end result, officers had banned Tengbo from returning to the UK in February 2023, saying his connection to the royals was a “serious breach of national security.”
At the time, British officers believed that he was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and had secretly labored for its United Front Work Department.
It emerged final month that Andrew held a business assembly with China’s ambassador to the UK simply days earlier than his hyperlinks to an alleged Chinese spy grew to become public.
The duke reportedly hosted Ambassador Zheng Zeguang on the Royal Lodge on December 9 to meet with Middle East investment firm Waterberg-Stirling.
King Charles has reportedly been left “furious” with Andrew over the scandal. REUTERS
The assembly happened simply three days earlier than court docket papers highlighted Andrew’s close ties to Tengbo.
The disgraced royal beforehand invited his former business adviser to his celebration in 2020, the place the person allegedly instructed Andrew that he couldn’t act on his behalf when coping with potential Chinese buyers.
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