Lee Andrews' ex-partner Alana Percival has responded to Katie Price's assertion that he has been arrested on espionage charges, swiftly dismissing the story as she made it clear she does not believe the latest development.
Background of the Case
Lee Andrews, a Dubai-based businessman, married former glamour model Katie Price in January, just two weeks after they met. The couple has rarely been out of the spotlight since. Over recent months, Andrews faced criticism after failing to appear on Good Morning Britain in the UK, and his whereabouts remained a mystery for nearly two weeks. On Wednesday, he called his wife claiming he had been arrested and detained on suspicion of espionage in a Dubai prison.
According to a report in The Sun, he is expected to be released on Monday. However, Alana was quick to dismiss the claims, writing on Instagram: "Watch Monday never come. He told me tomorrow tomorrow for 3 weeks and a spy charge well."
Details of the Alleged Detention
Andrews claimed he is being held at Dubai's notorious Al Awir prison. Katie said on Wednesday afternoon: "I have found him – he is alive, and he is okay. I told him how worried I had been and told him I loved him. It was very rushed, but he said the authorities out there thought he was a spy. I don't know much more than that right now."
According to the outlet, he claimed he was arrested on Wednesday 14 May after deliberately keeping a low profile. He allegedly moved his possessions out of his rental apartment and briefly stayed with his father in his Dubai villa before his arrest. It is thought he will now be required to pay a four-figure fine.
Timeline of Events
Concerns were first raised when Andrews failed to join Katie on Good Morning Britain, one day before she last spoke to him. He was due to fly from Muscat International to join his wife for their first joint interview but sent a video claiming he was at the airport. The former I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! star initially told fans her husband had been kidnapped in Dubai. In a FaceTime call, Andrews informed his wife he was in the back of a van with his hands tied, saying people were "coming" for him.
Five days after Katie last spoke to Lee, she filed a missing person report and said the Criminal Investigation Department in the UAE was involved. The airport in the video appeared to be Terminal Two of Dubai International, not Muscat. ITV stated that a Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed they were assisting a British national detained in the UAE.
Later, Katie shared the last text messages from her husband's phone, one reading: "Been arrested, I'll be in touch." It had been claimed that Andrews was sought by Interpol, but a source told the Mirror that is not the case, adding that if he is being held by UAE authorities, it is likely not due to a report first received by Hertfordshire Police earlier this year.
Hertfordshire Police later clarified: "We'd like to clarify that Hertfordshire Constabulary received a report in March, however, once it was established the alleged offences happened in Dubai, we referred this case to the relevant authorities as this was outside of our jurisdiction."
