The key facts
- Judge Adam Johnson allowed Turk to rely on a summary of witness evidence and to seek to call Andrew to court
- Isbilen claims that tens of millions of her funds were misappropriated
- The trial in London is expected to begin in November
Judge allows Andrew to be called to court
A High Court judge in London has ruled that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may be called to give evidence in a fraud case involving a Turkish businessman. The case concerns a claim by Nebahat Isbilen, a Turkish citizen, who asserts that her former adviser Selman Turk misled her regarding a payment of £750,000 made to Mountbatten-Windsor in 2019. Turk denies dishonesty. Ahead of the trial, which is expected to begin in November, he sought the right to call the former Duke of York as a witness, and Judge Adam Johnson agreed with this in a ruling on Friday, allowing Turk to rely on a summary of the witness's evidence.
The judge's reasoning
According to Johnson, 'given the seriousness of the allegations, both in themselves and in light of their broader impact, fairness requires that Mr Turk be given the opportunity to present his own case, using evidence he considers relevant and material.' The judge clarified that compelling Mountbatten-Windsor to give evidence would likely require a witness summons. Johnson added that it was 'highly unlikely' that a person in Mountbatten-Windsor's position would voluntarily give evidence in an open trial concerning payments from the wife of a man described as a political prisoner in Turkey, in connection with a dispute over the reasons for those payments.
Background to the case
Isbilen, who was 77 in 2022, comes from a wealthy family. When her politician husband was imprisoned, she sought help to move her assets out of Turkey. Her lawyers previously told the court that tens of millions of her funds were misappropriated, and that Turk failed to explain where the money went. According to Turk himself, the payment of £750,000 was made at Isbilen's own initiative, as she believed Mountbatten-Windsor could help her husband. Mountbatten-Windsor returned the money, and no suggestion of any wrongdoing on his part has been made.
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