Buenos Aires, Feb 23 (NA) — Former British Ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office due to his ties to the Epstein case, announced the London Metropolitan Police on Monday. Police officers arrested the 72-year-old Mandelson at a residence in Camden on Monday and was taken to a London police station for questioning, according to a Metropolitan Police spokesperson. "This follows search warrants issued at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas," the spokesperson said in an online statement, adding that they could not provide further information "to avoid compromising the integrity of the investigation," as learned by the Argentine News Agency. At the end of January, the U.S. Department of Justice released a large set of documents related to the late American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which sparked a new level of scrutiny in the United Kingdom. British police confirmed the opening of a criminal investigation into Mandelson for alleged misconduct in public office, including the possible disclosure of sensitive information to the market. He apologized to the victims of the Epstein case and stated that he understands the outrage expressed in Parliament. Due to the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, former Starmer chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, communications director Tim Allan, and Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Chris Wormald have resigned from their posts. Mandelson previously served as a high-ranking minister in the cabinets of former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He was appointed ambassador to Washington in early 2025 but was dismissed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after seven months in that role, as doubts resurfaced about his past. Earlier this month, Starmer apologized for his decision to appoint Mandelson British Ambassador to the United States. At an event in the city of Hastings, in southeast England, Starmer stated that he had underestimated the seriousness of Mandelson's old relationship with Epstein.
