UK judges have ruled decisively that documents revealing the close ties between the scandal-plagued Prince Andrew and alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo must be disclosed within two weeks. This announcement once again places the Duke of York at the center of controversy in Britain’s public sphere.
In a significant ruling by a London tribunal, it was determined that private correspondence between Andrew’s top adviser and Yang would be made accessible to the public shortly. This decision comes after Dominic Hampshire, a trusted aide and friend of the Duke, was compelled to provide a witness statement following Yang Tengbo’s expulsion and ban from the UK.
The Telegraph reported that Mr. Yang was forced to depart the country on national security grounds in March 2023. Yang’s legal challenge against this decision failed at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission last year. The UK authorities have accused him of forming an ‘unusual degree of trust’ with Prince Andrew, leveraging this to cultivate relationships with politicians on behalf of China. Yang has consistently denied these allegations, maintaining his innocence and asserting no unlawful actions were taken.
Media outlets have demanded transparency regarding key documents in this case, including Mr. Hampshire’s statement. The judges have now decreed on Friday that his statement, along with some commercial information related to Yang, must be revealed to the public.
“In a 25-page judgment, Mr. Justice Bourne, sitting with Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, said: ‘Substantial parts of the witness statement contain material which cannot possibly be said to be confidential, such as information about Mr. Hampshire’s background or about how he came to know Mr. Yang. There are also comments about Mr. Hampshire’s work with the Duke, which might seem embarrassing or indiscreet, but they are not such as to give rise to the inference that a legal duty of confidentiality attaches to them’.”
“The judges also ruled that commercial information relating to Mr Yang’s business dealings could be published. They said: ‘There is substantial public interest in reporting of international trading activity involving UK companies and in any involvement of any member of the Royal family in that activity’.”
In a commitment to transparency and public interest, all pertinent documents must be submitted by April 4.
