Police interview two men over King Charles’s charity cash-for-honours
Two men have been interviewed by police regarding their involvement in an alleged cash-for-honours scandal involving one of King Charles’ charities.
In a brief statement, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they had interviewed a man aged in his 50s and a man in his 40s under caution earlier this month.
The force launched an investigation into the scandal in February following a series of newspaper articles alleging a wealthy Saudi donor to The Prince’s Foundation was offered help securing citizenship and a knighthood.
Anti-monarchy group Republic made a formal complaint to Met detectives about Charles and former close confidant Michael Fawcett, who was forced to temporarily stand down from his position as the foundation’s chief executive following the allegations.
Last autumn, the Mail on Sunday published a letter from 2017 in which Mr Fawcett reportedly wrote that he was willing to make an application to change businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz’s honorary CBE to a knighthood, and support his application for citizenship.
The letter, written on headed notepaper in Mr Fawcett’s then capacity as chief executive of the Dumfries House Trust, said the applications would be made in response to “the most recent and anticipated support” of the trust.
Mr Mahfouz is reported to have donated large sums to restoration projects of particular interest to Charles.
The Prince’s Foundation conducted their own internal investigation into the incident in the wake of the scandal, which led to Mr Fawcett’s dismissal from his role.
Two men were interviewed on September 6, two days before the Queen died and Charles became King.
It is understood the King has not been spoken to by police, nor has he been requested to do so.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the latest development.
When the investigation was launched, a spokesperson for Charles at Clarence House reiterated a previous statement, saying the then Prince of Wales had ‘no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or British citizenship on the basis of donation to his charities’.
On Friday, the Met confirmed two men had been interviewed in relation to offences under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925.
No arrests were made and the force said it would not be providing a running commentary on the progress of its investigation.
Billionaire Mr Mahfouz has long been one of the biggest donors to the King’s charities and even has a forest- the Mahfouz Wood- named after him at the 15th-century Castle of Mey, formerly the Queen Mother’s home and now one of Charles’s Scottish residences.
Mr Mahfouz is said to personally deny committing any wrongdoing himself.
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