A former maintenance man of Jeffrey Epstein has claimed that he met “Princess Diana’s secretary with her children” while working for the 66-year-old financier, who apparently committed suicide last week at New York City’s top-security jail where he was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, the Daily Mail reports.
The claim was made by Juan Alessi during a testimony pertaining to a defamation case filed by Virginia Giuffre.
He argued that while working at Epstein's Palm Beach mansion, he also “listed Senator Mitchell, Prince Andrew, Princess Sarah Ferguson, Miss Yugoslavia, Miss Germany, Alan Dershowitz, Mr. Trump, Mr. Robert Kennedy Jr, Frederik Fekkai, and a couple Noble prize winners as 'celebrities that I had seen'.”
As for “Princess Diana’s secretary with her children,” it was not immediately clear who the secretary was and whether the children were the secretary's or those of Princes William and Harry.
While Alessi did not elaborate on the nature of the meetings, Diana's former secretary Patrick Jephson reportedly denied allegations that either Diana or Princes William and Harry could have met Epstein.
“I can't think of any occasion when Mr. Epstein would have any claim to say he had given hospitality to the Princess of Wales. To my knowledge, Princess Diana only ever went to Florida once and that was to Disney World [in 1993]”, Jephson was quoted by The Sun as saying. A spokesman for Prince Harry declined to comment on the matter.
The remarks come as US Attorney General William Barr lashed out at what he described as “serious irregularities” at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre (MCC) where Epstein died.
“I was appalled - and indeed the whole department was - and frankly angry to learn of the MCC’s failure to adequately secure this prisoner. We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and demand a thorough investigation."
The statement follows the FBI launching a probe into the apparent suicide of Epstein, who reportedly hanged himself in his cell on Saturday morning, using a bedsheet to make a makeshift noose, according to the New York Post.
Epstein had been held at the New York City prison since his arrest last month on child sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carried a penalty of up to 45 years in prison.
