Former British Ambassador to the US Mandelson under EU investigation for abuse of office

The European Union's (EU) anti-fraud office has launched a formal investigation into former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson on suspicion of abuse of office, while he is under separate investigation for his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Mandelson, who holds the title of Lord, was European Commissioner for Trade from 2004 to 2008, and the European Commission (EC) asked the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) about two months ago to investigate allegations of possible abuses during that term, the BBC reports.

OLAF confirmed today that it had recently received "more than enough information to launch an investigation", but that it was too early to announce whether it would include allegations of fraud.

After his term in Brussels, Mandelson served as British Minister of Economy from 2010.

OLAF is expected to investigate the exchange of messages and other information between Mandelson and Epstein during his term in the EU.

Among the allegations is the claim that Mandelson informed Epstein in advance of the €500 billion bailout package, when EU member governments decided to do "whatever it takes" to prevent the financial crisis from spreading to Greece.

OLAF announced that it does not have the authority to initiate proceedings and that, if there is a criminal element, it will forward the case to the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

Email correspondence between Mandelson and Epstein became public this year, leading British police to launch a criminal investigation on suspicion that Mandelson had disclosed sensitive market information in 2009.

Mandelson was removed from his post as British ambassador to the US in September last year, when his friendship with Epstein was clearly revealed.