Police in Norway have opened an investigation into a high-profile diplomat and her husband over their links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mona Juul resigned as ambassador to Jordan and Iraq on Sunday, days after she was suspended following Norwegian media reports that each of her children would receive $5m (£3.6m) in a will allegedly signed by Epstein days before he died.
Emails released in the so-called Epstein files show that Juul's husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, had dinner with Epstein in Paris in June 2019, weeks before Epstein's arrest in the US on sex trafficking charges. Juul's lawyer has stated that she does not recognise the accusations made against her, while Rød-Larsen's lawyer expressed confidence that the investigation would clarify there is no basis for criminal liability.
The contact with Epstein has been described by Norway's foreign ministry as a serious lapse in judgement. An aggravated corruption inquiry has been launched by the Norwegian economic crime unit Økokrim, which will investigate whether benefits were received in connection with Juul's diplomatic position. A property in Oslo has been searched as part of this investigation.
Norwegian media reports suggest that Rød-Larsen had extensive communication with Epstein and organized more than one meeting with Juul. Juul and Rød-Larsen were instrumental in negotiating the 1993-1995 Oslo Accords, a significant diplomatic milestone in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Recent revelations have drawn attention to other prominent Norwegians linked to Epstein, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit, former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, and the World Economic Forum’s Borge Brende, who faces scrutiny over his past interactions with Epstein. Mette-Marit publicly apologized for her friendship with Epstein, while Jagland and Brende have both pledged to cooperate with investigations.
Emails released in the so-called Epstein files show that Juul's husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, had dinner with Epstein in Paris in June 2019, weeks before Epstein's arrest in the US on sex trafficking charges. Juul's lawyer has stated that she does not recognise the accusations made against her, while Rød-Larsen's lawyer expressed confidence that the investigation would clarify there is no basis for criminal liability.
The contact with Epstein has been described by Norway's foreign ministry as a serious lapse in judgement. An aggravated corruption inquiry has been launched by the Norwegian economic crime unit Økokrim, which will investigate whether benefits were received in connection with Juul's diplomatic position. A property in Oslo has been searched as part of this investigation.
Norwegian media reports suggest that Rød-Larsen had extensive communication with Epstein and organized more than one meeting with Juul. Juul and Rød-Larsen were instrumental in negotiating the 1993-1995 Oslo Accords, a significant diplomatic milestone in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Recent revelations have drawn attention to other prominent Norwegians linked to Epstein, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit, former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, and the World Economic Forum’s Borge Brende, who faces scrutiny over his past interactions with Epstein. Mette-Marit publicly apologized for her friendship with Epstein, while Jagland and Brende have both pledged to cooperate with investigations.
