OSLO – In a developing story from Norway, former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland is under investigation for potential corruption due to his connections with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender.
The Norwegian Economic Crime Investigation Service, a collaborative team of police and prosecutors, announced on Thursday their intent to scrutinize whether Jagland accepted any gifts, travel perks, or loans tied to his various official roles.
Jagland, who led Norway as prime minister from 1996 to 1997, also held significant positions as Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and Secretary General of the Council of Europe, an extensive intergovernmental human rights organization in Europe.
Newly uncovered documents have exposed years of interaction between Jagland and Epstein. Among these documents are emails suggesting that in 2014, while Jagland was heading the Nobel committee, he arranged a family visit to Epstein’s island, with flight arrangements managed by Epstein’s assistant.
The Norwegian authorities are considering revoking Jagland’s diplomatic immunity, which he retains due to his previous diplomatic status.
According to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Jagland’s lawyer has stated that the former prime minister is fully cooperating with the ongoing 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Epstein killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually abused underage girls at his homes in the U.S.
The World Economic Forum, the organizer of an annual high-level business summit in Davos, also announced on Thursday that it was opening an internal review into its CEO Børge 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.
He told NRK that he is cooperating with the investigation, that he only met Epstein in business settings and he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal background.
Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit also faces renewed scrutiny over her past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein just as her son went to trial this week for multiple offences including charges of rape.
The Epstein files contained several hundred mentions of the crown princess, who already said in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, Norwegian media reported. The documents, which include email exchanges, showed that Mette-Marit borrowed an Epstein-owned property in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days in 2013. NRK reported that the stay was arranged through a mutual friend, which was later confirmed by the royal household.
Mette-Marit said in a statement that she “must take responsibility for not having investigated Epstein’s background more thoroughly, and for not realizing sooner what kind of person he was.” She added: “I showed poor judgment and regret having had any contact with Epstein at all. It is simply embarrassing.”
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