Micah Jonah
February 13, 2026
Norwegian police have carried out searches on properties belonging to former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland as part of an ongoing corruption investigation linked to his alleged connections with late US financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
Authorities disclosed that the probe was launched after documents released in January by the United States Department of Justice suggested that Jagland and/or members of his family may have visited or stayed at Epstein’s residences between 2011 and 2018.
Television footage from Oslo on Thursday showed investigators removing several boxes from Jagland’s apartment during the operation.
Jagland, 74, served as Norway’s Prime Minister from 1996 to 1997. Within the period under review, he was Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and Secretary-General of the Council of Europe.
Reports indicate that in the US Justice Department documents, Epstein allegedly referred to Jagland as “the Nobel big shot.”
Pal Lonseth, head of Norway’s specialized economic crimes unit, Okokrim, confirmed that Jagland is now formally under suspicion for “aggravated corruption.”
Jagland’s lawyer, Anders Brosveet, described the searches as standard procedure in investigations of this nature, adding that his client is willing to cooperate fully with authorities.
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers reportedly waived Jagland’s diplomatic immunity on Wednesday to enable the searches, following a request from Norwegian authorities who are examining whether any benefits received could amount to passive bribery.
Investigators cited repeated visits between 2011 and 2018 to Epstein’s properties in Paris, New York and Palm Beach, Florida. It was further alleged that travel expenses for six adults were covered by Epstein during at least one of the trips.
Jagland had earlier maintained that his association with Epstein was within the scope of normal diplomatic engagement but recently admitted in a local newspaper interview that he had shown “poor judgement.”
