14 DAY TRIAL // Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew of England were divorced in 1996 but they remain close friends. In fact, it’s precisely on this close relationship they have that Ferguson tried to capitalize, as she agreed to open all doors for what she believed was a businessman (but was actually an undercover reporter from News of the World) to the Prince, who is an unpaid UK Special Representative for Trade and Investment.
The deal went down this week and Ferguson’s fee for selling the Prince was of £500,000, plus another $40,000 which she asked for in advance. According to the agreement, in return of the money, the Duchess would see that Andrew befriended the businessman / reporter and let him in on interesting deals that might generate profit for him. The Duchess, who’s been strapped for cash for quite some time, as reports would have it, even assured the reporter Andrew knew of the deal and that it happened at his suggestion but, since he could not make a profit off his activities, he’d delegated her for it.
“Greedy Sarah Ferguson, 50, was filmed on Tuesday night taking a $40,000 (£27,000) cash down-payment from an undercover News of the World reporter. Unknown to the Prince, Fergie promised to introduce us to him, claimed he’d help fix lucrative deals and demanded a cut of all profits. She vowed: ‘Look after me and he’ll look after you... you’ll get it back tenfold. I can open any door you want.’ As the Duchess of York set out her stall, she blatantly put a price tag on an introduction to Britain’s unsuspecting trade envoy Prince, opening the door to lucrative international deals. Behind her ex’s back, Fergie claimed to have discussed it with him and lied: ‘Andrew said to me, Tell him £500,000’,” News of the World reports.
Footage shot with a hidden camera sees Ferguson clearly state all the details of the agreement, which would have made her a million pounds richer. At one point, she’s even seen crying as she looks at a table covered with $20 bills – the $40,000 she asked for in advance. She recollects herself quickly though and asks for a computer bag to put the money in. Before leaving, she makes sure her new business partner understood the terms of the deal accordingly: there will be no mention of the pay-off in front of Andrew, and she’ll be there to make sure such things never come up in a conversation between the two.
“After the shady deal was sealed with a handshake just before midnight on Tuesday Fergie again tried to drag unwitting Prince Andrew, also 50, into it. She bragged: ‘That opens up everything you would ever wish for. And I can open any door you want. And I will for you.’ Her astonishing offer will shock the Queen, the royal family and the Government, for the loose cannon Duchess’ ludicrous claims that Prince Andrew – unpaid UK Special Representative for Trade and Investment – could be party to such a scam jeopardize Britain’s global reputation for honesty and fair play. And her willingness to give an unvetted businessman access to her Who’s Who contacts book of the world’s most influential figures raises huge security fears,” the British tabloid further says.
For a transcript of the entire conversation that took place between Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and what she believed was a very generous businessman, together with video, please refer here.
