Kremlin dismisses claims linking Epstein to Russian intelligence

Speculation about a possible connection between the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein and Russian intelligence services should not be taken seriously, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Speaking during a press call, Peskov said such claims are fit only for jokes, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“There is a strong temptation to joke about these versions, but let’s not waste the time of our conference call on this,” he said.

The remarks followed a statement earlier this week by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who claimed that Jeffrey Epstein had been a Russian spy. 

In response, Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggested investigating possible family ties between Tusk and the American financier.

The released correspondence shows that in 2011 and 2014, Epstein attempted to arrange a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but those efforts were unsuccessful. The Kremlin said it had never received any such proposals from the financier.

In late January, the US Department of Justice released more than three million pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s case, including dozens of photographs involving underage girls. 

Epstein was charged with sexually abusing dozens of minors between 2002 and 2005. Prosecutors said some victims were as young as 14 and were allegedly taken to his New York residence and private island. 

He was found in a semi-conscious state in his jail cell in August 2019 and subsequently passed away.

By Jeyhun Aghazada