Revealed: Prince Andrew ‘received more than £1 million’ from a Turkish ‘fraudster’ after they met through the duke’s Libyan gun smuggler friend who attended Fergie’s 60th birthday bash and Eugenie’s wedding
- Convicted smuggler Tarek Kaituni has previously boasted of influence over duke
- He introduced Andrew to alleged fraudster Selman Turk in early summer of 2019
- Months later, he partially funded surprise 60th birthday party for ex-wife Sarah
- He has allegedly paid more than £1m to duke, £250,000 to Duchess and £25,000 to Princess Eugenie from money stolen from Turkish millionairess
Prince Andrew ‘received payments of more than £1 million’ from a Turkish ‘fraudster’ after they met through the duke’s gun smuggler friend – who attended Fergie’s surprise 60th birthday bash and Eugenie’s wedding.
Tarek Kaituni has previously boasted of his influence over the Duke and attended the wedding of daughter Princess Eugenie in 2018.
The convicted smuggler is also understood to have previously helped broker secret meetings for the Duke with the late dictator Colonel Gaddafi and once told undercover reporters he played a key role in the release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
Kaituni introduced Andrew to Selman Turk, 35, in the early summer of 2019, before the pair became friendly and shared dinners at the alleged fraudster’s South Kensington home.
It has now emerged that Fergie’s surprise 60th birthday party, which took place just months after their introduction, was partially funded by Mr Turk, The Sunday Telegraph reports.
And months later, Mr Turk and Kaitani took a selfie photograph together during a visit to what appears to be Frogmore House, the royal residence in Windsor Great Park, in February 2020.
Since their introduction less than three years ago, Mr Turk is alleged to have made payments totalling £1.1m to Andrew, of £250,000 to Sarah and £25,000 to Princess Eugenie.
Of the sum allegedly paid to the princess, $15,000 had been listed as a birthday gift, but it is understood to have actually been used to pay for the surprise party.
However, it is alleged that the this money was stolen by Mr Turk from Turkish millionaress Nebahat Evyap Isbilen, who had entrusted him with helping her move $87 million out of Turkey as she attempted to avoid political persecution.
A selfie taken by Selman Turk alongside Tarek Kaituni during a visit to what appears to be Frogmore House, the royal residence in Windsor Great Park, in February 2020
Prince Andrew has allegedly received payments of more than £1million from Turkish businessman Mr Turk
Turkish businessman Selman Turk, 35, is alleged to have made payments of more than £1 million to Prince Andrew after being introduce to the duke by Tarek Kaitun
Tarek Kaituni, 54, attended the surprise 60th birthday party and Princess Eugenie’s wedding despite a conviction for gun smuggling
Andrew first became involved with Kaituni, who now has US citizenship, in 2005. Kaituni (pictured with his former wife Lisa van Goinga at their wedding) brokered meetings between the Duke and Gaddafi
Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Beatrice and Prince Andrew, Duke of York pictured together at Royal Ascot in 2018
The complex case is ongoing, no trial has taken place and the allegations have not been resolved. Mr Turk denies all allegations of wrongdoing.
In preliminary hearings, it was alleged ‘substantial sums’ were paid to the Duke and Duchess of York, but there has been no suggestion they have any involvement in the allegations.
The party was attended by the likes of Ellie Goulding, Robbie Williams and Julian Fellowes.
Princess Eugenie has said she believed the payments to be ‘gifts’ from family friends to assist with the cost of the surprise bash.
In a statement, she said: ‘In early October 2019 I had received a call from our family friend saying that he wanted to make a financial contribution towards my mother’s birthday party to assist with the catering costs.
‘I suggested that any contribution could be made directly to the caterers, but in the event provided my account details to which two payments were made totalling £25,000, which I then transferred on to the company organising my mother’s party.’
Kaituni was among 100 guests at the party and enjoyed regular access to Andrew, with photographs showing the duke sitting near him at the event.
Andrew first became involved with Kaituni in 2005, the same year he was caught trying to smuggle a submachine gun from the Netherlands to France.
Kaituni has previously demonstrated his willingness to trade on their friendship and has claimed he could ‘influence’ Andrew into backing commercial projects
He was among 800 guests at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, for the wedding of Andrew’s daughter Princess Eugenie to Jack Brooksbank. Later he was a guest at the exclusive black-tie reception for the couple’s closest friends and family at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
The Libyan once gave Eugenie’s sister Beatrice an £18,000 diamond necklace months before the Duke allegedly lobbied a British company on his behalf.
Mr Turk currently lives in a multi-million-pound flat in a prestigious Mayfair property owned by the Queen.
Mr Turk currently lives in a multi-million-pound flat in Mayfair. The flat is owned by ‘The Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty In Right Of Her Crown care of The Crown Estate Commissioners’, Land Registry documents suggest
Sarah, Duchess of York and the Duke of York have been named in a High Court case as receiving ‘substantial sums’ of money
He is understood to have been introduced to Kaitani in early 2019, before then meeting Andrew for the first time in May or June later the same year.
Mr Turk, Kaitani and the duke subsequently met on at least two occasions, including a dinner with potential investors at the alleged fraudster’s South Kensington home in west London in December 2019.
The only time Andrew and Mr Turk have been pictured together in public was when the latter won an award at the Duke of York’s Dragons’ Den-style competition Pitch@Palace in November 2019.
In a video posted on the Pitch@Palace Twitter account, he outlined how he was creating a new consumer-focused digital bank aimed at millennials named Heyman Al.
The next evening Heyman AI won the People’s Choice Award and he was photographed shaking hands with the duke, who hosted the event.
But days later, Mr Turk told an official from Mrs Isbilen’s private bank that the £750,000 payment was a ‘wedding gift’.
In court documents, Mrs Isbilen, who also attended the Pitch@Palace event has suggested the transfer could be connected to the award Mr Turk won that evening.
The prince has since repaid the cash after she alleged it was a scam.
A spokeswoman for the Duke of York said: ‘We will not be commenting on an ongoing legal matter.’
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