• Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland is under investigation for alleged aggravated corruption linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
• Police searched multiple properties owned by Jagland as part of the investigation initiated by the US Justice Department's released documents.
• Jagland’s diplomatic immunity was lifted by the Council of Europe, allowing for formal charges to be made.
• Emails suggest Jagland facilitated travel to Epstein’s properties, raising questions of potential bribery.
• Jagland has denied all charges, claiming his connections were part of normal diplomatic duties.

Norwegian police have conducted searches at the residences of former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland as part of a corruption investigation into his links with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The search took place after the Council of Europe, which Jagland previously led, lifted his diplomatic immunity, allowing law enforcement to proceed. This investigation follows revelations from the U.S. Department of Justice, which indicated Jagland and his family stayed at Epstein's residences between 2011 and 2018, according to Reuters, BBC, and Al Jazeera.

Jagland is formally suspected of “aggravated corruption,” as aspects of the case suggest he may have received gifts and travel expenses from Epstein in exchange for which he may have been compromised. The investigative unit Økokrim has emphasized that the extensive ties between Jagland and Epstein warrant this inquiry. The searches of Jagland's properties included his apartment in Oslo and two other locations, where police gathered documents and evidence, according to Reuters, BBC, and Al Jazeera.

Email exchanges reveal plans for Jagland to visit Epstein’s properties, including family trips to Epstein’s island in the Caribbean and stays in his apartments in major cities like Paris and New York. Some of these identified trips allegedly included expenses covered by Epstein for multiple individuals. Jagland's connections to the financier are underscored by Epstein's references to him in communications, labeling him as "the Nobel big shot," which raises questions regarding potential passive bribery, according to Reuters, BBC, and Al Jazeera.

Despite the serious nature of these allegations, Jagland has denied any criminal liability, expressing a willingness to cooperate fully with authorities. His lawyer stated that the searches conducted were a standard procedure in such investigations and hinted at Jagland's desire to clarify his position and contribute to the case's thorough examination. Jagland had previously characterized his interactions with Epstein as typical of normal diplomatic engagements, although he acknowledged having shown "poor judgment" in these affairs, according to Reuters, BBC, and Al Jazeera.