By Sudip Kar-Gupta
BRUSSELS, April 24 (Reuters) - The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) said it had opened an investigation into Peter Mandelson, Britain's former ambassador to the U.S. and an ex-EU politician under scrutiny over his ties to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"OLAF can confirm the opening of an investigation on the case that you refer to. However, as the investigation is ongoing, OLAF cannot issue any further comment," it said via email on Friday.
"This is in order to protect the confidentiality of ongoing and possible ensuing investigations, possible subsequent judicial proceedings, personal data and procedural rights," it added.
The formal opening of a probe into 72-year-old Mandelson, who served as EU trade commissioner between 2004 and 2008, comes after OLAF had initially said in February that it was looking into the situation.
Mandelson's legal representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Mandelson, who served as a minister when Labour was last in power more than 15 years ago, as Britain's Ambassador to the US in late 2024, only to then sack him last September after a trove of emails revealed the depth of Mandelson's ties with Epstein.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta;Additional reporting by Sam Tabahriti in London;Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Toby Chopra)
