Andrew Puts Royals in Fresh Crisis as $20M Mansion Is Linked to Alleged Bribery Scheme
A new investigation revealed that Andrew received $20M for his mansion from funds loaned by a firm allegedly linked to criminal corruption.
When it rains, it pours. Fresh trouble for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the royal family. On January 8, a new investigation revealed that he had received $20M from oligarch Timur Kulibayev, reportedly sourced from funds loaned by a firm linked to criminal corruption. Kulibayev's lawyers had used money from Enviro Pacific Investments to purchase Sunninghill Park from the former Prince, raising renewed questions about his ethics and poor financial oversight.
A BBC report into the alleged shady financial dealings found that Italian prosecutors had determined Enviro Pacific Investments received money from a bribery scheme in 2007. Just weeks after the final payment, the oligarch allegedly used these funds to purchase Sunninghill Park. Kulibayev, son-in-law of Kazakhstan's former president, was a powerful figure in the country's oil and gas sector. The investigation also revealed that, in a separate case, an Italian businessman admitted to bribing the oligarch. When contacted by the outlet, Kulibayev's lawyers denied the claims, maintaining that they never indulged in corruption and that the funds used to buy the property were legitimate. Meanwhile, Mountbatten-Windsor did not respond to comments.
Kulibayev's alleged money laundering has raised speculation about whether Mountbatten-Windsor inadvertently benefited from the cash, and raised questions about whether he or his advisors conducted proper checks. Money laundering expert Tom Keatinge, Director of the Centre for Finance and Security, said the deal had "blatant red flags" which should have triggered thorough checks to ensure it was not "helping to launder the proceeds of corruption." Moreover, Kulibayev allegedly paid $4 million more than the asking price and an estimated $9.3 million above the property's market value, possibly to cover for his illegal dealings. The former Prince had reportedly been introduced to Kulibayev by Kazakh businesswoman and socialite Goga Ashkenazi.
At the time of the sale, the UK government had expressed concerns about corruption in Kazakhstan. In April 2007, then-Europe Minister Geoff Hoon told MPs that "allegations of systematic corruption" in the country were rife. Despite these warnings and Mountbatten-Windsor's role as trade envoy, as well as his position as fourth-in-line to the throne, the buyer's identity was not disclosed by either party or by Buckingham Palace. In 2007, there were no rules requiring the owners of offshore companies purchasing UK property to be revealed, and Kulibayev's name only became public three years later.
The Sunninghill Park mansion was a gift from the late Queen Elizabeth to Mountbatten-Windsor in 1986. The modern, two-storey red-brick mansion featured 12 bedrooms, 12 matching bathrooms, and six reception rooms, but was often mocked for resembling a Tesco superstore. After being put on the market in 2001 with little interest, Mountbatten-Windsor became personally involved. According to Simon Wilson, then deputy ambassador, the former Prince leveraged an official visit to Bahrain in 2003, during his role as the UK's trade envoy, to try to sell the property to Gulf royals, before receiving an offer from Kulibayev.
