Prince Andrew faces new embarrassing claims

New embarrassing allegations have emerged against Prince Andrew, Duke of York, already at the center of a judicial storm over his close ties with the late American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Some former senior British officials told BBC that the former prince regularly charged UK taxpayers for personal “massages” and “excessive” travel expenses during his tenure as special trade envoy between 2001 and 2011, CE Report quotes ANSA.

A former employee of the Department of Trade revealed to the public broadcaster, speaking on condition of anonymity, that he had opposed at the time a reimbursement request for “massage services” submitted by Andrew after a mission to the Middle East, considering it inappropriate.

“I made it clear that we should not pay, but senior officials overruled me and the bill was settled anyway with public funds,” the source said.

The ministry involved did not deny the allegations, referring instead to the ongoing police investigation, which has placed the former Duke of York under scrutiny following his arrest and release last week over confidential information he allegedly shared in the past with Epstein. Meanwhile, former Conservative minister Tom Tugendhat has called for a parliamentary inquiry for “treason” against Andrew in light of his relationship with the financier.