Norway’s police said on Thursday, February 5, that it had opened an “aggravated corruption” investigation into former prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The country’s foreign minister also said he would ask that Jagland’s immunity as a former head of an international organization be lifted to facilitate the investigation.
Jagland was prime minister of Norway from 1996 to 1997 and secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019. Between January 2009 and March 2015, he also chaired the committee that selects the Nobel Peace Prize winner. The police “have opened an investigation into… Thorbjorn Jagland, on suspicion of aggravated corruption,” said the Norwegian police’s economic crime unit, Okokrim, in a statement.
“We consider there are reasonable grounds for investigation, given that he held the positions of chair of the Nobel Committee and Secretary General of the Council of Europe during the period covered by the released documents,” Okokrim director Pal K. Lonseth said in the statement. “Among other things, Okokrim will investigate whether gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with his position,” the statement added.
Since Jagland enjoys immunity as the former head of an international organization – the Council of Europe – they have asked the foreign ministry to lift that immunity, they added. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement Thursday: “It is important that the facts of this case are brought to light. That means Mr. Jagland’s immunity cannot stand in the way of an investigation. I have therefore decided that Norway will put forward a proposal to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers that Jagland’s immunity be revoked.”
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.
