Epstein prosecutor who claimed Prince Andrew was not co-operating to give testimony next week

Geoffrey Berman was unexpectedly dismissed as United States attorney for the Southern District of New York last month - JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Geoffrey Berman was unexpectedly dismissed as United States attorney for the Southern District of New York last month - JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The prosecutor locked in a tussle to get Prince Andrew to give evidence about Jeffrey Epstein for much of this year will appear before a congressional committee this week, potentially throwing new light on the matter.

Geoffrey Berman was the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, the unit leading the Epstein investigation, until last month when he was controversially sacked by the Trump administration for reasons that remain unclear.

Mr Berman will appear before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on Thursday and is expected to face hours of questioning from members, offering an insight into his work and unexpected dismissal.

The testimony will be given behind closed doors, meaning the public cannot watch along with proceedings, but it is not uncommon for newsworthy comments to find their way into the press via leaks.

Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell - Stewart Mark / Camera Press
Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell - Stewart Mark / Camera Press

Mr Berman had been the public face of the Epstein case and repeatedly clashed in public with the Duke of York, accusing him of not co-operating with their investigations.

Back in January Mr Berman accused Prince Andrew of giving the FBI “zero co-operation” as it probed his friendship with Epstein, the late New York billionaire accused of sexually abusing underage girls. Mr Berman made similar comments again later in the year.

The Duke of York’s legal team has always argued that he is willing to speak to investigators and has repeatedly offered to do so, suggesting Mr Berman’s claims were misleading.

The exact trigger for Mr Berman’s dismissal remains a mystery which Democrats on Capitol Hill are now investigating.

Charges against Ghislaine Maxwell, who is accused of trafficking underage victims for Epstein, were announced by Mr Berman’s deputy days after she stepped into the role following his removal.

The timing of Mr Berman’s dismissal, his thoughts on the Trump administration’s motives for the sacking and the nature of his disagreement with Prince Andrew could all be topics for questions from the congressmen.