Norway has been rocked by the release of millions of files that allegedly show politicians and top diplomats had extensive contact with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The files indicate that Norway’s former prime minister, Thorbjoern Jagland, and Epstein’s assistants made detailed plans in 2014 to visit the American in Palm Beach, Florida.
The Norwegian police unit — Oekokrim — searched the homes of Mr Jagland a day after the Council of Europe lifted his diplomatic immunity.
“Oekokrim is currently conducting searches of Thorbjoern Jagland’s residence and recreational properties. This was expected and is a standard part of an investigation of this nature,” Mr Jagland’s lawyer, Anders Brosveet, said in a statement.
Mr Jagland is now accused of aggravated corruption, his lawyer added, under Norway’s legal code that precedes formal charging and allows a suspect to get a lawyer and the police to arrest a suspect at some point.
In Norway, formal charges are brought against someone much later in the legal process, sometimes only weeks before a court case begins.
“This does not represent any real change in the substance of the case, but is a legal consequence of the investigative methods used by the police,” said Mr Brosveet.
“I am very glad that the matter is being clarified,” Mr Jagland was quoted as saying by Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten on Thursday, local time.
Investigators plan to question Jagland
Oekokrim said that in addition to Jagland’s Oslo home, it had searched a property in a town on Norway’s southern coast and another in the nearby mountainous county of Telemark.
It was planning to question Mr Jagland as well.
“As a consequence of the search, Jagland is now accused of aggravated corruption. Jagland will be questioned by Oekokrim,” the police unit’s chief, Paal Loenseth, told Reuters.
Mr Jagland is also a former foreign minister and ex-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize committee.
Jagland wants case ‘thoroughly clarified’
“Jagland wishes to contribute to ensuring that the case is thoroughly clarified, and the next step is that he will appear for questioning by Oekokrim — as he himself has stated he wants,” Mr Brosveet said.
“We will adhere to the process and continue to fully cooperate with the authorities.”
The decision to investigate was based on information revealed by newly released files related to Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.
The files indicate that Mr Jagland’s wife, two children and his son’s girlfriend were to join him on the visit to Palm Beach.
Mr Jagland has denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island.
The former prime minister has not been charged with any crime, but the investigation will seek to uncover whether gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with his official position, police have said.
In a 2014 email, Mr Jagland sought Epstein’s help in financing an apartment in Oslo.
Emails from 2018 show Epstein asking Mr Jagland to arrange for him to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and saying he had insights to offer President Vladimir Putin.
Mr Jagland promised to bring it up with Mr Lavrov’s assistant.
The US Department of Justice’s release of millions of internal documents related to Epstein has exposed his ties to a range of European figures in business, academia, government and royalty.
Diplomat couple suspected of gross corruption
Mona Juul, Norway’s former ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, and her husband — former government minister Terje Roed-Larsen — are also under investigation.
She is suspected of gross corruption, while Mr Roed-Larsen is suspected of complicity in gross corruption.
The pair have said through their lawyers that they believe there is no basis for the cases against them.
Mr Roed-Larsen has apologised several times for the relationship, and in 2020 stepped down as CEO of the New York-based International Peace Institute, a think tank.
However, the latest release of files indicated a deeper friendship between Mr Roed-Larsen and Epstein.
Among other references to Ms Juul and Mr Roed-Larsen, the files showed that the couple made plans to visit Epstein’s private island with their two children in 2011, though it was unclear if the visit took place.
Source: Reuters
--Agencies
