Peter Mandelson was seen with a serious expression as he arrived at his lavish London residence around 2 am following his arrest in connection to messages he had exchanged with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The 72-year-old Labour peer was detained on Monday under suspicion of misconduct in a public office. He was questioned at a police facility regarding emails he allegedly sent to Epstein, containing confidential government information.
Detectives had been investigating the matter for 16 days before searching Mandelson’s upscale London home and a rented farmhouse in Wiltshire. Accusations were made that Mandelson had shared sensitive data with Epstein during his tenure as business secretary.
Upon returning home, Mandelson was observed entering his house and later leaving in a black car a few hours later. The following day, a significant number of reporters gathered outside his residence, while the windows remained shut, with a light visible at the back of the property.
Mandelson’s black Land Rover Discovery was parked outside his house, and despite numerous arrests and resignations related to the release of the Epstein Files, he has not issued any public statements. He was dismissed from his role as the UK ambassador to the US after further revelations from the files were made public.
The arrest of Mandelson at his home near Regent’s Park in north London around 4:30 pm on Monday has been described as unusual. He was seen wearing a gray jumper and dark coat and was escorted by an undercover detective to an unmarked vehicle without handcuffs.
Former Met Detective Chief Inspector David McKelvey remarked on the timing of the arrest, noting the constraints on the interrogation period due to the late hour of the arrest. Mandelson was granted bail after being taken into custody at a London police station for questioning.
Scotland Yard confirmed the arrest of a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.
