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Law enforcement authorities have asked for the removal of Thorbjorn Jagland’s immunity connected to his previous role as a senior diplomat. He is one of several prominent individuals under investigation following the recent release of documents related to Epstein.

The former Prime Minister of Norway, Thorbjorn Jagland, is being probed by authorities on “charges of serious corruption” concerning his supposed connections with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to police statements on Thursday.

“We believe there are valid reasons to conduct an investigation, considering that he served as chair of the Nobel Committee and Secretary General of the Council of Europe during the time covered by the released documents,” said Paal Loeseth, director of Norway’s economic crime police unit, Oekokrim, in a statement.

“Among other things, Okokrim will examine if gifts, travel, and loans were received in relation to his role,” the statement mentioned.

Anders Brosveet, a legal representative for Jagland, stated that his client appreciates the police initiating an inquiry and is committed to cooperating fully.

“It is beneficial for Jagland to get a definitive explanation from Okokrim, instead of the whole press corps carrying out their own individual private inquiries,” Brosveet said to the AFP news agency.

Who is Thorbjorn Jagland?

Jagland, 75, was the prime minister of Norway between 1996 and 1997 and subsequently held other roleshead of the European Council from 2009 to 2019.

The authorities also requested that Jagland’s immunity be removed to aid the investigation.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated on Thursday that Norway plans to present a proposal to the Council of Europe aimed at removing Jagland’s immunity. “It is crucial that the details of this case come to light,” Eide mentioned in a statement. The Council of Europe is an international body focused on human rights; it is not affiliated with the European Union.

“It is crucial that the details of this case be made public,” said Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide in a statement.

From January 2009 to March 2015, Jagland was the head of the committee responsible for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize.

On Wednesday, Kristian Berg Harpviken, head of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, informed reporters that they were anticipating Jagland’s comments regarding his alleged connections with Epstein.

“If it is confirmed that Thorbjorn Jagland gained substantial financial advantages from Jeffrey Epstein during his time on the Nobel Committee, this would violate our ethical guidelines,” he stated.

New Epstein documents released cause shock in Norway

Jagland is one of several well-known Norwegians under increased examination followinga fresh collection of almost three million recordswas released by the U.S. Department of Justice last week.

Correspondence between Jagland and Epstein has sparked controversy in Norway.

“I have encountered remarkable young women in Tirana (Albania,” Jagland wrote in a message to Epstein dated May 2012.

“I can’t sustain it just with young women, as you are aware,” he stated in January 2013.

Jagland told the daily Aftenposten on Sunday, he admitted to having demonstrated “poor judgment” by continuing to associate with Epstein.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit has acknowledged bad decision-making inmaintaining connections with Epstein after he was convicted.

On Monday, Norway put high-profile diplomat Mona Juul on hold as part of an inquiry into her suspected connections, while the World Economic Forum revealed it would conduct an independent examination of its CEO and former Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende concerning his interactions with Epstein.

Although their presence in the documents does not suggest any misconduct, they reveal links between Epstein’s associates and public individuals who have frequently minimized or rejected these connections.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

Author: Emmy Sasipornkarn (with AFP, Reuters)