Norwegian authorities have launched a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland over his alleged connections with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The probe, conducted by Norway’s economic crime unit Økokrim, focuses on potential “aggravated corruption” during Jagland’s tenure in senior international roles, including as head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and secretary general of the Council of Europe. Police have requested the foreign ministry to lift Jagland’s diplomatic immunity to allow the investigation to proceed.

Økokrim chief Pål K. Lønseth said the inquiry will examine whether Jagland received gifts, loans, or travel benefits linked to his official positions, based on documents recently released from US Epstein files. Additional details are expected to be made public at a later stage.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stressed the importance of uncovering the facts and confirmed that Oslo would formally request the revocation of Jagland’s immunity from the Council of Europe.

Jagland’s lawyer Anders Brosveet assured full cooperation, stating that key findings and supporting documents would be submitted to Økokrim promptly. He added that, based on current evidence, they were confident about the outcome of the investigation.

Jagland, 75, served as Norway’s prime minister from 1996 to 1997, led the Norwegian Nobel Committee between 2009 and 2015, and was secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019.

With inputs from BBC