Norway investigates ex-PM over Epstein ties
Authorities in Norway have opened an investigation into former prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland on suspicions of corruption following revelations of his ties with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Norwegian Economic Crime Investigation Service, a mixed unit of police and prosecutors, announced Thursday that it would look into whether gifts, travel or loans were received by Jagland in connection with his positions. Jagland was Norway’s prime minister between 1996 and 1997. He also served as a Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and was Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the continent’s largest inter governmental human rights body.
The files revealed years of contact between the politician and Epstein. Emails in the files indicate that he made plans to visit Epstein’s island with his family in 2014, when he was chairman of the Nobel committee, with an Epstein assistant organizing the flights. Norwegian authorities are also looking to lift Jagland’s immunity, which he enjoys because of his past as a diplomat. His legal representative told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that Jagland is cooperating with the investigation.
Jagland’s is one of several Norwegian public figures whose reputations have been impacted by revelations from the recent release of over 3 million pages of documents on the millionaire financier and sex offender Epstein released last week by the US Department of Justice. Epstein killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually abused underage girls at his homes in the US.
The World Economic Forum, the organiser of an annual high-level business summit in Davos, also announced on Thursday that it was opening an internal review into its CEO Brende to determine his relationship with Epstein, after the files indicated the two had dined together several times and exchanged messages. Brende served as Norway’s minister of foreign affairs between 2013 and 2017. Thorbjorn Jagland.
