Norway police launch ‘aggravated corruption’ investigation into former PM Thorbjorn Jagland over links to Epstein

Norwegian police on Thursday said that they have launched an "aggravated corruption" investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland over his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The country’s foreign minister also said he would request that Jagland’s immunity as a former head of an international organisation be set aside to allow the investigation to proceed.

Jagland served as Norway’s prime minister from 1996 to 1997 and as secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019. From January 2009 to March 2015, he also chaired the committee responsible for selecting the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

As per AFP, the police said, "have opened an investigation into... Thorbjorn Jagland, on suspicion of aggravated corruption," according to a statement from Norway’s economic crime unit, Okokrim.

Okokrim director Pal K. Lonseth said in a statement that the agency believes there are reasonable grounds to investigate Jagland, given his roles as chair of the Nobel Committee and secretary general of the Council of Europe during the period covered by the released documents. The statement added that the investigation will look into whether he received gifts, travel, or loans in connection with his positions.

Since Jagland holds immunity as the former head of an international organization, the Council of Europe, authorities have requested that the foreign ministry lift that immunity, the statement added.

Norwegian newspaper VG reported this week that Jagland had extensive contact with Epstein, citing the latest batch of documents about the late financier released last Friday by the US Justice Department.

At one point, the report said, Jagland requested financial assistance to purchase an apartment. Jagland told the newspaper that the loans for his properties were all obtained from the Norwegian bank DNB.

Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the institute, informed journalists that they were waiting to hear Jagland’s side of the story.

He mentioned, "If it turns out that Thorbjorn Jagland received significant financial benefits from Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a member of the Nobel Committee, that would be contrary to our code of ethics."

He added that he did not want to make a hasty judgement.

According to the released documents, Jagland had stayed with Epstein in New York in 2018, as well as in Epstein’s Paris apartment in 2015 and 2018.

The former Norwegian prime minister and his family had also planned a visit to the American financier’s island in 2014, but the trip was eventually cancelled. Jagland, on Sunday evening, told the newspaper Aftenposten that he had shown “poor judgment” by maintaining ties with Epstein.

(With inputs from agency)