A judge has ruled that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor can be called to give evidence at the High Court in a trial involving fraud allegations against a Turkish businessman.
While the former duke is not accused of wrongdoing and the case doesn’t center on him, he’s been drawn into the matter due to past business dealings.
Expected to begin in London in November, the 11-week trial involves businessman Selman Turk, who is being sued by fellow Turkish national Nebahat Isbilen.
Ms Isbilen, 77, alleges that Mr Turk, her former adviser, tricked her into giving the then-duke a £750,000 sum in 2019 ‘by way of payment for assistance’.
Documents have revealed the amount was repaid after it was alleged to be part of a scam.
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Mr Turk denies dishonesty and sought permission to call Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to give evidence at the trial.
And in a judgment today, Mr Justice Adam Johnson agreed and allowed Mr Turk to rely on a witness summary, as well as permitting him to seek to call evidence from Mr Mountbatten-Windsor.
He said: ‘Given the seriousness of the allegations, both on their own terms and in light of their wider impact, fairness requires that Mr Turk should be afforded an opportunity of putting forward his own case, using the evidence he considers relevant and material.’
The judge later said his decision only meant Mr Turk could call evidence from the former prince and that a witness summons ‘will likely’ be needed to compel him to give evidence.
He added that although Mr Turk was late to seek to rely on evidence from Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, the evidence from him is ‘limited in scope’ and can be accommodated.
He assumed ‘no, or no serious attempt was made’ to contact Mr Mountbatten-Windsor by Mr Turk.
The judge said he is ‘content to find on the balance of probabilities that had he been asked, Mr Mountbatten-Windsor would have declined to provide a witness statement’.
‘It is highly unlikely that a person in the position of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor would wish voluntarily to provide a witness statement and give evidence at a trial in public proceedings involving payments made by the wife of a person said to be a political prisoner in Turkey, in connection with a dispute about the reason the payments were made.’
In the ongoing complex case, it’s alleged that Mr Turk stole tens of millions from Ms Isbilen.
Her lawyers previously told the court that Mr Turk failed to explain to her where her funds had gone.
The High Court also heard that ‘money was used for purposes unconnected with Ms Isbile’, for example, ‘substantial sums’ paid to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
Mr Turk arranged payments of £350k to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, £225k to the Duchess of York, and £25k to Princess Eugenie, plus a gifted £750k for Princess Beatrice’s 2020 wedding to Edoardo Mapelli.
In 2023, the court was told of a ‘settlement’ between Ms Isbilen and the then-Duke and Duchess of York.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has not spoken publicly on the case, with a spokesperson saying previously: ‘We are unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.’
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