Disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell claimed she “never introduced Prince Andrew to Jeffrey Epstein” in an interview under oath, court documents have revealed.
The third tranche of files connected with paedophile financier Epstein were published on Friday, including the video-taped interview with Maxwell in April 2016.
In the video-taped evidence, known in the US as a deposition, the socialite described Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre’s alleged meetings with the Duke of York as a “tissue of lies”.
Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with Epstein, and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre, a woman he claimed never to have met.
He was cast out of the working monarchy and no longer uses his HRH style after Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.
The duke strenuously denies any wrongdoing.
A US judge ordered hundreds of documents to be unsealed as part of Ms Giuffre’s previously settled civil claim against Maxwell, which was filed in 2015.
In an exchange with Ms Giuffre’s lawyer Sigrid McCawley during her deposition, Maxwell was first asked: “Do you know Prince Andrew?”
“I do,” she replied.
Ms McCawley continued: “How long have you known him?”
Maxwell said: “A very long time.”
The lawyer then asked “Since you were a child?”
“I really — it’s so long, it’s really a long time ago. I just don’t recall,” Maxwell said.
Questioned if she remembered how she first met him, the convicted sex trafficker said: “No I do not.”
Ms McCawley then asked: “Did you introduce him to Jeffrey?”
Maxwell responded: “That would be another of Virginia’s lies and the lies you perpetrate.
“I never introduced Prince Andrew to Jeffrey Epstein at any time ever, so just add that the (sic) to long list of lies.”
Ms McCawley continued: “Did Jeffrey know Prince Andrew?”
Maxwell replied: “Clearly he knew him.”
Pressed on whether she knew how Andrew met Epstein, Maxwell said: “I do not know (sic) Jeffrey met Prince Andrew.
“What I do know is that I did not introduce them.
“That is one of the many lies. Are we tallying all the lies?”
Ms McCawley went on: “Do you know when Jeffrey met Prince Andrew?”
Maxwell said: “I do not know when Jeffrey met Prince Andrew.”
Ms McCawley then asked: “Did you ever introduce Prince Andrew to any girls under the age of 18 who were not friends of your children?”
The socialite responded: “I have not introduced Prince Andrew to anyone that I am aware of other than friends of mine who have kids under that age that he may have met socially through me.”
Questioned on whether she introduced the duke to Ms Giuffre in London, Maxwell said: “I understand her story about London but, again, her tissue of lies is extremely hard to pick apart what is true and what isn’t.
“Actually I wouldn’t recollect her at all but for her tissue stories about this situation.”
Ms McCawley asked again: “So did you ever introduce Prince Andrew to Virginia in London?”
“I have no recollection,” Maxwell replied.
The Metropolitan Police have said officers are not investigating allegations made against the duke.
Also included in the third tranche of documents were provisional search terms used by lawyers to find relevant files on Maxwell’s computers.
Amongst the terms on a list were “Andrew”, “Prince”, “Royal” “PA”, “Kensington”, “Duke” and “York”.
Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges. The death was ruled a suicide.
Maxwell has been imprisoned since July 2020 despite attempts by her defence counsel to have her released on bail.
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the federal court in the Southern District of New York in June 2022.
The socialite indicated her desire to appeal shortly after her conviction, with her lawyers claiming victims had “faded, distorted and motivated memories”.
Her appeal is scheduled to be heard in November next year.
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