The Norwegian Nobel Institute said Wednesday it was awaiting an explanation from Norway’s former prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland, a former chair of the committee that awards the peace prize, over reported links to US billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
Norwegian newspaper VG, referencing documents released Friday, reported this week that Jagland had extensive contact with Epstein.
At one point, it said, he had asked Epstein for financial help to buy an apartment. Jagland told the newspaper 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, noting that Jagland had not yet given an explanation.
“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 that selects the 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.
In another exchange, Epstein had asked Jagland to help him set up a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, VG reported.
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.
On Monday, Norway suspended high-profile diplomat Mona Juul, pending an investigation into her alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
She played a key role in the secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which led to the Oslo accords of the early 1990s.
And the newly released files also revealed details of Norway’s crown princess Mette-Marit friendship with Epstein.
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