Former Norwegian Prime Minister Jaglands properties searched for Epstein connections

Norwegian Police Conduct Searches at Former Prime Minister’s Residence

The Norwegian police have conducted searches at the residence of former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland as part of a corruption investigation. The search was authorized by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, which waived Jagland’s diplomatic immunity on Wednesday.

According to reports, documents released by the US Department of Justice in January indicated that Jagland and/or members of his family may have stayed at or vacationed at the residences of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein between 2011 and 2018. The investigation is focused on whether Jagland received benefits from these connections that could amount to “passive bribery”.

The searches were carried out by the Okokrim economic crimes unit, led by Chief Pal Lonseth. According to Lonseth, Jagland has been formally suspected of “aggravated corruption”. Jagland’s lawyer, Anders Brosveet, confirmed the searches and stated that they are standard procedure in these types of investigations.

The investigation cites repeated instances between 2011 and 2018 when Jagland and/or members of his family used Epstein’s apartments in Paris and New York, as well as stays at his property in Palm Beach, Florida. The police have also found evidence suggesting that travel expenses for six adults may have been covered by Epstein during one of these private vacations.

Jagland had previously maintained that his ties with Epstein were part of normal diplomatic activities. However, he recently told the newspaper Aftenposten that he had shown “poor judgement”. The next step in the investigation is that Jagland will appear for questioning by Okokrim.

Source: Al Jazeera