Prince Andrew demanded a face-to-face assembly with Sir Ken McCallum, the director of the UK’s Safety Service MI5, after his longtime shut confidant was accused of being a Chinese language spy.
The disgraced Duke of York, 65, was embroiled in yet one more scandal when Yang Tengbo — the previous working royal’s enterprise adviser — was sensationally banned from getting into the UK following an MI5 investigation.
Andrew arrange the assembly to study extra about safety considerations surrounding Tengbo, whom he had identified for years, The Telegraph experiences.
The assembly was penciled in for June 2024 with McCallum — who ultimately canceled it as a result of nation’s shock normal election on the time, known as by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The election required the MI5’s full consideration, leading to Andrew’s assembly by no means being rearranged, the outlet provides.
The previous working royal was largely saved at midnight about his former adviser regardless of boasting the very best safety clearance.
Nonetheless, had a gathering taken place between Andrew and the Secret Service chief, it might have raised alarm bells provided that Tengbo was beneath investigation by the home intelligence service.
Tengbo was detailed at a British airport in late 2021. He was compelled to give up his telephone and different units for investigation.
Consequently, officers banned Tengbo from returning to the UK in February 2023, saying his connection to the royals was a “serious breach of national security.”
On the time, British officers believed he was a member of the Chinese language Communist Social gathering and had secretly labored for its United Entrance Work Division.
In February, it emerged that Andrew held a enterprise assembly with China’s ambassador to the UK simply days earlier than his hyperlinks to an alleged Chinese language spy turned public.
The duke reportedly hosted Ambassador Zheng Zeguang on the Royal Lodge on Dec. 9 to fulfill with Center East funding agency Waterberg-Stirling.
The assembly happened simply three days earlier than courtroom papers highlighted Andrew’s shut ties to Tengbo.
The disgraced royal beforehand invited his former enterprise adviser to his party in 2020, the place the person allegedly instructed Andrew that he couldn’t act on his behalf when coping with potential Chinese language traders.
The duke has since confronted contemporary calls to go away the Royal Lodge, the place he has lived since 2004.
