Jeffrey Epstein could have been murdered, former friend Peter Mandelson has suggested.
The convicted sex offender died in his prison cell in New York in 2019.
In July, US officials confirmed initial rulings on his death following an “exhaustive review of investigative holdings” relating to the paedophile financier.
The US Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation stated: “After a thorough investigation, FBI investigators concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019.”
Some conspiracy theorists have however questioned whether suicide was the true cause Epstein’s death.
In a recent interview, US ambassador Lord Mandelson said he doesn’t know “whether he was murdered or whether it was suicide”.
Speaking on Harry Cole Saves The West podcast, he said: “I honestly have not the faintest idea how he died, whether he was murdered or whether it was a suicide.
“All I know is that with all the information that we have about this dreadful, dreadful man, I wish that I could remove that – he is like a piece of mud attached to my shoes which I find very difficult to kick away but I will do it.
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Lord Mandelson said he doesn’t know ‘whether he was murdered or whether it was suicide’
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“I can only do it by first of all acknowledging having regret ever have met him in the first place and how much I regret deeply continued association with him.”
Lord Mandelson also said he does not believe he is named in the Epstein files but added he has “no doubt” there are exchanges between the pair that will surface.
He however confirmed he had not discussed this with either Sir Keir Starmer or Donald Trump.
Last week, 33,000 pages of documents from the US Department of Justice were made public relating to the Epstein case.
Convicted sex offender Epstein died in 2019
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Survivors gathered in Washington days later demanding the US Congress pass legislation forcing the release of all unclassified records related to Epstein held by Donald Trump’s administration.
Lord Mandelson told Harry Cole: “We know [the files] are going to come out and we know that I am going to profoundly regret ever having met him and been introduced to him in the first place but I cant re-write history.”
Sir Keir is facing calls from Labour MPs to sack Lord Mandelson over his former friendship with Epstein.
Backbenchers Richard Burgon and Nadia Whittome broke ranks on Wednesday to urge Prime Minister to remove the ambassador from his post “immediately”.
Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls to sack Lord Mandelson over his former friendship with Epstein
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They joined Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who described Lord Mandelson’s position as “untenable” and said he should be “fired now”.
It followed reports that he had guided Epstein through the criminal process while he was facing child sex charges in 2008, writing: “Your friends stay with you and love you.”
Lord Mandelson is also reported to have told Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sir Keir had defended the appointment of Lord Mandelson, who was already facing criticism after it emerged he had written a birthday note to Epstein in 2003 in which he described the financier as his “best pal”.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir said he still had “confidence” in Lord Mandelson and “due process was followed” during his appointment.
Downing Street repeatedly evaded questions on how much the Prime Minister knew about the former Labour minister’s association with Epstein at the time of his appointment.
