The former assistant of Prince Andrew could give a sworn statement as part of the civil sexual assault case against Andrew after a formal request from a New York judge.
Lawyers for Virgina Giuffre had requested help to obtain testimony from the former assistant, Robert Olney. Olney had previously worked for the prince as his equerry.
Andrew has consistently denied Giuffre’s allegations, she claim that he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17 and being trafficked by Jefrrey Epstein.
Giuffre’s lawyers say Olney’s name and phone number were in the contacts book of Epstein and that the former assistant would have knowledge of his relationship with Prince Andrew.
US judge Lewis A Kaplan released his correspondence sent to London’s High Court, formally asking for assistance in the civil case brought by Giuffre, on Monday evening,
The request, under an international legal convention between co-operating courts, means that the British court must now decide whether to become involved in Prince Andrew’s battle.
In the letter to Senior Master Elizbeth Fontaine, the official who manages requests from foreign courts for assistance, Judge Kaplan said any evidence obtained from Olney would be used in Giuffre’s civil damages claim against the prince.
As Prince Andrew’s former equerry, Judge Kaplan said Olney was likely to have “relevant information” about travel to and from Epstein’s properties and about the duke’s relationship with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty last month of grooming underage girls.
The judge said that if his request was accepted, Olney should be questioned about any communications that touch on Giuffre, given that Prince Andrew claims he has never met her or sexually abused her.
He has also sent a request asking for a statement to be taken from Shukri Walker, who has said she saw Prince Andrew at Tramps night club in London in March 2001 with a young woman who may have been Giuffre.
Two more requests have been sent to the Australian attorney general, fulfilling applications from Prince Andrew’s team.
The first is a request for Australian authorities to take a statement from Robert Giuffre, Giuffre’s husband, concerning what she may have told him in the past. The second is a request to obtain the co-operation of Giuffre’s therapist Dr Judith Lightfoot.
Sources: BBC, The Times
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