Norway’s former prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland had on Wednesday become the latest figure in the spotlight over reported links to convicted sex offender, the US billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
The Nobel Institute said Wednesday it was awaiting an explanation from Jagland, a former chair of the committee the peace prize, over reported links to Epstein.
Norwegian newspaper VG, referencing documents released Friday, reported this week that Jagland had extensive contact with Epstein.
At one point, it said, Jagland asked for financial help to buy an apartment. Jagland told the newspaper that the loans for his properties had all been obtained from the Norwegian bank DNB.
Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the institute, told journalists they were waiting to hear what Jagland had to say about the matter.
“If it turns out that Thorbjorn Jagland received significant financial benefits from Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a member of the Nobel Committee, that would be contrary to our code of ethics,” he said.
He did not, however, wish to judge him prematurely, he added.
“We will also be interested in reading and seriously considering the account Thorbjorn Jagland himself has provided in the documents,” he said.
Jagland was chair of the committee which selects the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize winner between January 2009 and March 2015.
He served as the prime minister of Norway from 1996 to 1997, and was secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019.
According to the documents released, Jagland had also stayed with Epstein in New York in 2018, as well as in Epstein’s apartment in Paris in 2015 and 2018.
The former Norwegian prime minister and his family had additionally planned a trip to the American financier’s island in 2014, but the trip was ultimately cancelled.
On Sunday evening, Jagland told newspaper Aftenposten that he had shown “poor judgment” by maintaining ties with Epstein.
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