Court orders release of letter linked to suspected spy

Prince Andrew is facing more controversy. A judge has ordered an aide to release a letter related to a suspected Chinese spy. The aide, Dominic Hampshire, must provide a letter he wrote in support of Yang Tengbo. Tengbo was Prince Andrew's business adviser and is accused of being a spy. The letter was written after Tengbo applied to return to the UK. He had been banned due to his close ties with Andrew. The judge also ruled that details about Andrew’s business connections with Tengbo must be shared. This comes after it was revealed that Andrew had been warned about Tengbo's suspected activities. The court has set a deadline of April 4 for the documents to be made public, unless an appeal is filed by March 28. Hampshire had tried to keep the letter concealed, claiming it contained sensitive information. However, the judge stated that much of the letter is not confidential and that parts could be embarrassing but do not require protection. Judge Bourne highlighted the importance of public interest regarding business dealings involving the royal family. The court learned that Hampshire told Tengbo in 2021 that he could act on Andrew’s behalf with potential investors in China. Tengbo has denied the allegations against him, calling them “entirely unfounded.” He was banned from the UK in February 2023 due to concerns over national security. British officials suspected him of having ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Recently, it was revealed that Andrew held a meeting with the Chinese ambassador just days before the news about his links to the alleged spy became public. This meeting raised further questions about the duke's actions and connections.