Sarah Ferguson Won’t Hand Over £225,000 As It Was Fee For Her Work?

Sarah Ferguson reportedly does not plan to repay the £225,000 ($295,000) she received from Selman Turk's company, Alphabet Capital Ltd, which the High Court heard was a fraudulent front for "apparent money laundering."

The £225,000 ($295,000) was apparently the Duchess of York's fee for work, however, it was offered in instalments. According to sources, Ferguson knew Turk "through the duke" and regarded him as a "perfectly bona fide" banker. She also claimed that she was "completely unaware of the allegations against him."

In the court's legal documents, Turk is claimed to be a fraud who set up the company to transact dirty money around the world. However, he denies all the allegations.

The Duchess has not officially released any statement regarding the money she received, but sources close to her have issued an explanation. They claimed that it is related to her work as a "brand ambassador" for United States green energy company Pegasus Group Holdings. The £225,000 ($295,000) was her fee for work, she was offered in instalments rather than a one-time payment. Turk was "suggested as someone who would take on the debt and pay the duchess" in full, with Pegasus then paying him in instalments.

A spokesman for Sarah stated, "The Duchess was completely unaware of the allegations that have since emerged against Mr Turk. She is naturally concerned by what has been alleged against him."

Meanwhile Prince Andrew, who was also dragged in the issue, reportedly told the bank officials to call his Buckingham Palace office if they were concerned over a £750,000 ($900,000) payment from an alleged fraudster.

The Duke of York is said to have "received payments of more than £1 million ($1.3 million)" from Turk after they met through the Duke's gun smuggler friend Tarek Kaituni - who attended Ferguson's surprise 60th birthday party and Princess Eugenie's wedding. The payments included a £750,000 ($900,000) "wedding gift" to Princess Beatrice.

According to the Telegraph, Turk told officials investigating into the £750,000 ($900,000) payment that Andrew had "authorized him to pass on the details of palace aides"

Meanwhile, Kaituni has previously boasted of his influence over the Duke of York and even attended the wedding of Andrew's daughter Princess Eugenie in 2018. Kaituni is a convicted smuggler who has previously helped secret broker meetings for the Duke with the late dictator Colonel Gaddafi. He also once told undercover reporters he played a vital role in releasing the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.