
Norway has launched an investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland, on suspicion of corruption stemming from his contact with American financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Jagland served as prime minister from 1996 to 1997. He was secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019 and chaired the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015.
In a statement on Thursday, Norway's anti-corruption agency, Okokrim, said it had asked the Foreign Ministry to lift the immunity granted to Jagland as a former diplomat. Okokrim's head, Pal Lonseth, said the investigation would focus on whether Jagland had received gifts or favors in connection with his positions.
The veteran politician is mentioned several times in a slew of files from the Epstein Estate released last week by US authorities.
In an email to Epstein from May 2012, Jagland wrote: “I have been to Tirana (Albania) extraordinary girls.” In another email from January 2013, the former prime minister wrote about plans to visit Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean with his wife and sons, adding: “I can’t just go on with young women, as you know.”
On Monday, Jagland told the VG newspaper that the emails contained “embarrassing jargon” that could be misinterpreted and said he had never visited Epstein’s properties without his wife present. He denied ever staying on Epstein’s island.
Jagland's lawyer, Anders Brosveet, said he would present all relevant information to investigators. "Based on what we have found so far, we are confident about the outcome," Brosveet told Reuters.