Lord Mandelson, the former ambassador to the US, was arrested at his London home on Monday afternoon. According to his lawyers, the arrest was prompted by a suggestion that he was a flight risk, which they claim is baseless.
A spokesperson for Mishcon De Reya, Lord Mandelson's lawyers, stated that he had agreed to attend an interview with the police on a voluntary basis next month. The Metropolitan Police Service has declined to comment on the matter.
Lord Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and later released on bail, pending further investigation. The arrest followed search warrants at two addresses in Wiltshire and Camden earlier this month.
Investigation Background
The investigation was launched over allegations that Lord Mandelson had passed on market-sensitive government information to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a minister. The BBC understands that Lord Mandelson's position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and was not motivated by financial gain.
Consultations between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service are ongoing. Lord Mandelson has been bailed to the end of May. The former Labour spin doctor has been a high-profile figure in British politics for decades, having played a key role in the New Labour movement and Sir Tony Blair's landslide election victory in 1997.
Timeline of Events
Lord Mandelson was seen being led away from his London home by plain clothes officers on Monday. He was taken to Wandsworth police station in London for interview, where he remained for nine hours before being released on bail in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
