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 $5 million (£3.6 million) in a will allegedly signed by Epstein days before he died.
Emails released in the Epstein files also appear to 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 said she doesn't recognize the accusations made against her and Rød-Larsen's lawyer is confident the investigation will clarify there is no basis for criminal liability.
Appearing in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. Norway's foreign ministry has said Juul's contact with Epstein revealed a 'serious lapse in judgement.' An 'aggravated corruption' inquiry has been launched by the Norwegian economic crime unit Økokrim, police announced on Monday. Økokrim will, among other things, investigate whether benefits were received in connection with her position.
A property in Oslo has been searched in connection with the investigation. Juul and Rød-Larsen were part of a small group of diplomats that negotiated the 1993-1995 Oslo Accords, which were seen as a breakthrough in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Norwegian media reports Rød-Larsen had extensive communication with Epstein and arranged to meet him with Juul more than once.
The wider Epstein documents, released by the US Department of Justice last month, contain millions of private emails, images, and FBI reports into the late sex offender, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. Juul is the latest prominent public figure from Norway to be drawn into the widening scandal surrounding the contents of the files, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit, former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, and CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Borge Brende.
Emails released in the Epstein files also appear to 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 said she doesn't recognize the accusations made against her and Rød-Larsen's lawyer is confident the investigation will clarify there is no basis for criminal liability.
Appearing in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. Norway's foreign ministry has said Juul's contact with Epstein revealed a 'serious lapse in judgement.' An 'aggravated corruption' inquiry has been launched by the Norwegian economic crime unit Økokrim, police announced on Monday. Økokrim will, among other things, investigate whether benefits were received in connection with her position.
A property in Oslo has been searched in connection with the investigation. Juul and Rød-Larsen were part of a small group of diplomats that negotiated the 1993-1995 Oslo Accords, which were seen as a breakthrough in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Norwegian media reports Rød-Larsen had extensive communication with Epstein and arranged to meet him with Juul more than once.
The wider Epstein documents, released by the US Department of Justice last month, contain millions of private emails, images, and FBI reports into the late sex offender, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. Juul is the latest prominent public figure from Norway to be drawn into the widening scandal surrounding the contents of the files, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit, former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, and CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Borge Brende.
