1
   

Sex, drugs, silence: new Buckingham Palace blackmail scandal

 
 
Reply Mon 29 Oct, 2007 01:34 am
Quote:
Sex, drugs and silence from the palace: the first royal blackmail plot in a century

· Palace source says victim is not a high-profile royal
· Yard confirms arrests at meeting fixed by detective


Rachel Williams
Monday October 29, 2007
The Guardian

The member of the royal family targeted in an alleged blackmail plot centring on sex and drug claims is not a senior royal, the Guardian understands.
Scotland Yard yesterday confirmed that two men are in custody, having been charged with blackmail last month. Buckingham Palace has refused to discuss the case, saying it is a police matter.

Although a name was being circulated yesterday, a court order prevents the identification of the royal or any witnesses.

But royal sources indicated that the individual concerned does not have a high public profile.
The two alleged blackmailers wanted £50,000 not to publicise a video they suggested showed the royal in sexual activities with an aide, the Sunday Times reported. They were also alleged to have claimed that they had footage of the aide snorting cocaine and evidence suggesting the royal had supplied the aide with an envelope containing the drug.

The case is the first alleged extortion attempt against a royal for more than a century.

The men in custody, aged 30 and 40, were reported to have been arrested last month in what was reported to have been an undercover sting after the royal contacted police.

They arranged to meet someone they believed was a member of the royal's staff in a suite at the Hilton Hotel, in Park Lane, Mayfair, the Sunday Times reported, and showed him parts of what they claimed was the sex video.

But the man was an undercover detective from the Metropolitan police's kidnap and blackmail unit, the report said, and as the meeting was secretly videoed by detectives in an adjacent room, the men were seized.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: "A 30-year-old man and 40-year-old man appeared at City of Westminster magistrates' court on September 13, each charged with one count of blackmail. Both have been remanded in custody to reappear at the Old Bailey on December 20."

The court hearing was held behind closed doors.

The Sunday Times said the alleged blackmailers first contacted the royal household on August 2. A man telephoned the royal's office, identifying himself only by his first name and saying that another man, who worked on the royal's staff, had an envelope containing cocaine, and suggesting it was embossed with the royal's personal insignia.

He then reportedly claimed that he had a videotape which showed the aide performing oral sex on someone the caller indicated as the royal. The man then left a mobile phone number, asking for the royal to ring him.

In further calls, one man was said to have claimed that the tapes showed an aide snorting cocaine, and guaranteed nobody would ever see the tapes because they were safe in his flat.

A Whitehall security official told the newspaper the caller then said he wanted £50,000 for the tape. The source said that a senior legal adviser to the royal agreed with one of the men that he would see the tape before handing over the cash.

By then a detective had been attached to the royal's staff and contacted the gang to arrange the Hilton meeting. The two men were arrested on September 11.

The royal cannot be identified because of reporting restrictions imposed under section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act. This is common practice in allegations of blackmail to ensure that the claims a defendant is accused of threatening to make do not become public through court proceedings.

The restrictions prohibit identification of the alleged victim and alleged witnesses until any further order by a judge.

The Crown Prosecution Service also successfully applied for the September hearing to be held in camera, but it is not yet known whether lawyers will seek similar treatment when the defendants appear at the Old Bailey in December, a CPS spokeswoman said.

"We made two applications, for the section 11 restrictions and for the court to be heard in camera," she said. "We make such applications to protect the interests of alleged victims and alleged witnesses." Members of the press were present when the applications were made and did not make any applications objecting to them, she added.
  • Topic Stats
  • Top Replies
  • Link to this Topic
Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 1,354 • Replies: 2
No top replies

 
Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Reply Mon 29 Oct, 2007 01:41 am
Quote:
A brief history of blue blood extortion


source: The Guardian, 29.10.07, page 3
http://i22.tinypic.com/s5eqky.jpg
0 Replies
 
Foofie
 
  1  
Reply Tue 30 Oct, 2007 06:10 pm
Only my opinion, but the Royals are boring.
0 Replies
 
 

Related Topics

 
  1. Forums
  2. » Sex, drugs, silence: new Buckingham Palace blackmail scandal
Copyright © 2025 MadLab, LLC :: Terms of Service :: Privacy Policy :: Page generated in 0.04 seconds on 01/17/2025 at 08:55:39