Boss of Sarah Ferguson-linked firm used royal links to threaten worker with jail

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Boss of Sarah Ferguson-linked firm used royal links to threaten worker with jail14 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleBen KingBusiness reporterGetty ImagesSarah Ferguson with close friend and business partner Manuel FernandezSarah Ferguson's close friend and business partner, Manuel Fernandez, used his Palace links to threaten a worker with jail, according to a recording obtained by the . The worker at Fernandez's failed lifestyle app vVoosh was told that police would investigate him for allegedly putting "royal security" at risk by hacking emails. Ferguson was an investor and "ambassador" for the business, and Fernandez used this connection to impress investors and staff, the worker claims.

Fernandez said he "strongly disputed" allegations about his conduct and the financial position of vVoosh. Ferguson's representatives did not reply. Ferguson was regularly photographed with the Essex soldier-turned-businessman from 2015 to 2017, but she denied that they were romantically involved, telling a newspaper they were "friends and business partners".

The Details

Like many tech start-ups, vVoosh was based in the Shoreditch area of London. It planned to launch a social networking service similar to Facebook, but it collapsed last year without ever launching a product. Ferguson owned about 1% of the shares, and loaned the company about £50,000, according to company filings.

vVooshLifestyle app vVoosh was backed by Ferguson - but it collapsed last year Recordings, letters and WhatsApp chats from a former company insider raise further questions about the people Ferguson associated with, and how much she knew about how one of her close contacts used and allegedly misused his royal connections. The senior staff member, whom we are calling "Alex", worked at vVoosh for about six years. Like many of his colleagues, he says, he was only engaged as a contractor.

In June 2017, he received a WhatsApp message from Fernandez saying he had been called to "an urgent meeting at B Palace regarding the company because of the VIP shareholders". Alex was asked to meet Fernandez the following day. The company had been in financial trouble, and Alex says he was owed thousands in unpaid invoices, so he decided to record the meeting on a mobile phone in his jacket pocket, to "protect himself".

What Experts Say

At the start of the meeting, Alex's other phone is apparently taken off him by force. A man who identifies himself as "Mark" and refuses to give his surname says the device belongs to the company, but he won't allow Alex to recover his personal data from the phone. "I was so scared because this guy was, like, three times my size," Alex said in an interview with the .

The has established that "Mark" is a former soldier turned security adviser, Mark Harry. He said he understands "that this matter was handled by the appropriate authorities at the time. I strongly dispute the allegations made.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.