 "Did Epstein use British military airbases? UK defence ministry launches probe")
Amid growing fallout from the Epstein files, Defence Secretary John Healey has instructed officials to review military records to determine whether Jeffrey Epstein trafficked women into Britain through RAF bases.
He ordered officials to leave “no stone unturned” while examining more than 20 years of Ministry of Defence documents for evidence that the paedophile billionaire’s private jet landed at military airfields.
Review of RAF access
Private jets may land at RAF bases by prior arrangement and for a fee, provided operations are not disrupted.
The directive follows claims by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown that the British state may have facilitated Epstein’s crimes by allowing his aircraft to land at RAF bases, at times with unidentified women onboard.
Brown pointed to a December 2000 flight in which Epstein’s Gulfstream jet landed at an airbase in Norfolk before he travelled to the Sandringham Estate with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Scope of the MoD inquiry
The review, first reported by The Sunday Telegraph, is expected to examine records and emails to establish whether Epstein used military sites when visiting the UK. A source said as cited in the report that the department would “ruthlessly pursue any information that can shed light on this scandal”.
Brown has called for a police investigation into whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor used RAF bases to meet Epstein. He said he submitted a five-page dossier containing new information from Epstein-related documents released in the US to several UK police forces, including the Metropolitan Police Service, Sussex Police and Thames Valley Police.
Focus on RAF Marham flight
Concern has centred on a December 2000 flight that landed at RAF Marham, about 20 miles from Sandringham.
A previous investigation by BBC News found that around 90 flights linked to Epstein arrived at or departed from UK airports, with some British women on board who said they were abused.
At the time, the MoD said spare capacity at RAF airfields is routinely used by private or commercial aircraft for a fee covering all costs.
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, who died in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Quick Reads
View AllAn MoD spokesperson said the review aims to identify and provide any relevant information to authorities and that the department will support civilian police investigations, adding that its thoughts are with victims.
Essex Police said it is assessing information regarding private flights to and from London Stansted Airport following the release of Epstein materials by the US government.
Stansted Airport said private flight terminals operate independently and passengers do not enter the main terminal. Immigration and customs checks for private jet arrivals are conducted directly by UK Border Force, and the airport has no visibility of passenger arrangements on privately operated aircraft.
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