BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 4 January 2024

Source: BBC

Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton name dey inside di Epstein files

UK Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton UK Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton

UK Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton dey among high-profile figures wey dia name dey US court papers wey give details of di connections of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Di newly-released records form part of one case against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein girlfriend wey dem don jail sake of say e help am abuse girls.

But di documents so far no open major new allegations about Epstein or revelations about im associates.

Prince Andrew chop accuse say e grope one woman, wey e deny.

Oda names wey dey di documents include singer Michael Jackson and magician David Copperfield, though no wrongdoing dey alleged against dem.

Oga Clinton appear for some number of di documents. Di former US president don confam say im be former associate of Epstein but don strongly deny say e sabi anytin about im crimes.

Dem release di first files - wey cover about 900 pages - on Wednesday, afta one order by New York Judge Loretta Preska, wey confam say many of those wey dia name show already dey identified by di media or for Maxwell criminal trial.

Judge Preska bin tok say many odas no raise objection to di documents wey dem release. However, she bin order say make dem edit some names sake of say dem go sabi victims of sexual abuse.

Some of di more dan 100 pipo wey dey di list make allegations about oda individuals, or be potential witnesses, and more documents dey expected to dey released for coming days.

Epstein bin plead guilty say e ask for prostitution from one minor for 2009 and e take im own life for 2019 while e dey await trial ova sex-trafficking charges.

Prince Andrew grope claim

Di newly-released files include references to Johanna Sjoberg, wey bin claim say Prince Andrew grope her breast wen she siddon for couch inside Epstein Manhattan apartment for 2001.

Buckingham Palace before don tok say her allegations dey "categorically untrue". Dem no gree comment about di newly-released documents, dem say dem no longer dey speak on behalf of di Duke of York wey no longer dey carry out royal duties. BBC don approach Prince Andrew for comment.

For one deposition, wey already dey reported, Ms Sjoberg den allege say Prince Andrew bin put im hand on her breast to pose for one foto wit anoda accuser, Virginia Giuffre, and one puppet wey dem write "Prince Andrew" ontop.

For 2022, di British royal bin pay millions to Ms Giuffre to settle one case wey she bin file to allege say e sexually abuse her wen she be 17 years old.

Prince Andrew say e bin neva meet Ms Giuffre and deny her allegations.

Bill Clinton travels

Former US President Clinton name also dey di court documents, although e no get implication of any illegality. Wen e dey contacted for comment, im representatives bin refer to one statement wey e bin drop for 2019 say e "no sabi nothing" about Epstein crimes.

According to di records, Ms Sjoberg bin testify say Epstein once tell her say oga Clinton "like dem young, e dey refer to girls".

Di files include testimony from Maxwell wey confam say Oga Clinton bin travel on board Epstein private jet, but she no sabi how many times.

Oga Clinton bin travel on Epstein plane on wetin dey described as humanitarian trips to Africa for early 2000s and for dat time, bin praise Epstein as one committed philanthropist, though e say e later cut ties wit am.

Di former US president 2019 statement say e bin dey accompanied on im trips for Epstein jet by staff and supporters from im charity, di Clinton Foundation.

"Im Secret Service detail travel on every leg of every trip," im statement add.

Di court documents include one section wia Maxwell lawyer try debunk one tori pipo report say, shortly afta e comot office for January 2001, Oga Clinton bin travel to Epstein private island for di Caribbean.

One lawyer for Maxwell tok say di former US president "no, in fact travel to, or dey present on, Little St James Island between January 1, 2001 and January 1, 2003".

Di lawyer bin add say if di claim dey true, Secret Service agents for dey required to submit travel logs of di trip.

Why dem mention Trump?

Di document also include testimony from Ms Sjoberg say Epstein tell her say e go contact Donald Trump on dia way to one of im New Jersey casinos for 2001.

"Jeffrey say, 'Great, we go call up Trump'," she testify, afta pilots say dia plane no fit land for New York and go need stop for Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Di documents contain no allege wrongdoing by Oga Trump.

Dem ask Ms Sjoberg at one point for di deposition weda she ever give Oga Trump massage, and she reply say: "No."

Who be some of di odas?

Michael Jackson and David Copperfield: Ms Sjoberg say she bin meet di singer and di magician through Epstein, although she no allege any wrongdoing by dem.

Jean-Luc Brunel: Di French modelling agent wey kill imself for one Paris jail for 2022 while e dey await rape charges, also dey mentioned plenti times.

For her deposition, Ms Giuffre say she bin dey forced to sleep wit ogbonge figures including New Mexico Govnor Bill Richardson. Before im death last year, Oga Richardson bin deny say e don ever meet Ms Giuffre, and dem no charge am wit any crime.

Alfredo Rodriguez: One household employee wey dem task wit security for Epstein, describe Maxwell as "di boss" for im testimony, according to di court files.

Dem tell Oga Rodriguez, wey die for 2015, to carry cash at all times to give to high school girls, and di girls wey dey help recruit for Epstein, di documents tok.

Epstein and Maxwell

Di New York medical examiner rule Epstein death for 2019 to be by suicide.

Maxwell, di daughter of publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, currently dey serve 20-year prison sentence for her role as recruiter for Epstein. Her lawyers dey appeal against di sentence.

Lawyers for Maxwell tok for one statement wey tori pipo CNN see on Wednesday: "She don consistently and forcely maintain her innocence."