Norway’s former PM Thorbjørn Jagland faces corruption charges over alleged Epstein links

Norway’s former prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland has been charged with "aggravated corruption” following a police investigation into his links with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Norwegian police said on Thursday (Feb 12). According to authorities, several properties belonging to Jagland had also been searched, his attorney said.

Elden Law Firm said that the former leader is cooperating with the authorities, adding that he “denies all charges”. Jagland’s lawyers added that the searches of his “home and leisure properties” are “a normal part of an investigation of this type.”

Økokrim, Norway’s investigative agency for economic and environmental crime, said that it will question Jagland as part of the investigation, country’s public broadcaster NRK reported. Investigators have said that they were looking into “whether gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with his position.”

“As an automatic consequence of the search, Jagland now has formal status as a suspect,” the former prime minister’s lawyer Anders Brosveet said in a statement. “Jagland wants to contribute to the case being thoroughly investigated, and the next step is that he will appear for questioning at Økokrim.”

Jagland, who served as the country’s prime minister from 1996 to 1997, has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. He has also served as Norway’s foreign minister and secretary-general of the Council of Europe.

This comes as Norway’s royal family faces mounting controversy as charities reconsidered or reviewed ties to the crown princess over her past contact with Epstein. The critics are now questioning her suitability to the role of future queen.

Last week Norway’s royal house said Mette-Marit “strongly disavows Epstein’s abuse and criminal acts” and is sorry for “not having understood early enough what kind of person he was.”