Norway police probe former prime minister over alleged connections to Jeffrey Epstein

Norway’s Okokrim Investigates Former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland Over Corruption Allegations

Authorities in Norway have launched an investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland on suspicion of corruption, following revelations about his ties to late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The probe was prompted by documents released by the US Department of Justice last week, which showed years of communications between Jagland and Epstein.

Okokrim, Norway’s dedicated police unit for fighting white-collar crime, has determined there are “reasonable grounds” to investigate Jagland for aggravated corruption. The agency has also requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to revoke Jagland’s immunity as a former head of an international organization.

Jagland served as Norway’s prime minister from 1996 to 1997 and later held positions including head of the Nobel Committee and secretary-general of the Council of Europe. Okokrim will investigate whether gifts, travel, and loans were received in connection with his position.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has stated that the facts of the case need to be brought to light, and he plans to propose revoking Jagland’s immunity to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. Jagland’s lawyer, Anders Brosveet, has not commented on the investigation.

Separately, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has launched an investigation into its CEO Borge Brende’s dealings with Epstein. The WEF has asked its risk committee to conduct the review in light of revelations that Brende had several business dinners with Epstein and communicated with him via email and text message.

Brende stated that he had limited contact with Epstein and was unaware of his past or crimes. He expressed regret for not doing more to investigate Epstein’s history and welcomed the upcoming independent review. The WEF aims to handle the matter thoughtfully and efficiently, while Brende will continue to fulfill his responsibilities as President and CEO without involvement in the review process.

Source: Al Jazeera