There’s A Call For Prince Andrew To Be Investigated For Bribery
I’m not sure why Prince Andrew is smiling in that picture. The Virginia Giuffre sexual assault lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial next year and now people are calling for an investigation into claims that Androol received £1.5 million from his buddy David Rowland to pay off a loan from Banque Havilland, an offshore bank owned by David’s family. David is a major Tory donor and a multi-millionaire “property tycoon.” I don’t really understand anything to do with money, but apparently, it’s a case of bribery. The family “loaned” Andrew money and then paid if off themselves. Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, explains that David has essentially paid the Duke of York “cash for access” and Andrew needs to be investigated immediately. Whoa, hold your horses, Graham! Kindly form a neat line behind Virginia and the French socialite suing Andrew and Original Fergie for allegedly shorting her $9 million on the purchase of their Swiss chalet. Everyone will get a turn… eventually.
Speaking of Sarah Ferguson, she got in shit for selling access to her ex-husband back in 2010. People have long wondered how Andrew has afforded his lavish lifestyle, and allegations of bribes and cash for access have been circling for years. Back in 2007, he sold his former home Sunninghill Park, a wedding present from the Queen, to the president of Kazakhstan’s son-in-law for £15 million. This was £3 million above the asking price. Here are some more details about the £1.5 million “loan”, via the Evening Standard:
An internal credit application also allegedly showed staff at the bank were concerned the original unsecured loan was “not in line with the risk appetite of the bank” but it was approved because it opened up “further business potential with the royal family”.
Graham Smith, chief executive of Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, said: “As with the row over MPs’ second jobs, when someone is paying a public figure large sums of money the question has to be: What do they want in return?
“Royals have unique access to the highest levels of government here and abroad, as well as complete secrecy surrounding what they do and say behind closed doors.
“There needs to be an urgent investigation into royal lobbying and cash for access, starting with Prince Andrew.”
Banque Havilland denied any wrongdoing, and here’s what Andrew’s spokesperson said, via the Mirror:
“The Duke is entitled to a degree of privacy in conducting his entirely legitimate personal financial affairs, on which all appropriate accounting measures are undertaken and all taxes duly paid.”
Wait, so bribes are OK by the Royal Family as long as they (allegedly) pay taxes on it? And where is the proof?:
Former Lib Dem MP Norman Baker, an expert on royal finances, said he would be writing to the public accounts committee calling for an investigation into the duke’s finances. He also called for HMRC to check if Andrew had paid tax ‘on any income’.
Mr Baker said: ‘The fact is the requirements on the royals are far less than people who are in elected office.’
A spokesman for Andrew said: ‘In accounting terms it was all duly logged and taxes paid and everything went across the books in the proper way.’
Hmmm… I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to think some of these Royals aren’t on the up-and-up!
Pic: Wenn.com