Oslo: Norway's former prime minister, Thorbj¸rn Jagland, has been admitted to hospital due to stress related to the Epstein scandal, as reported by the NTB news agency and others citing his lawyer.
According to Ghana News Agency, Jagland is among the prominent figures implicated by the release of files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Norwegian authorities are currently investigating allegations of serious corruption linked to the case. During his tenure as secretary general of the Council of Europe, a human rights organization, Jagland reportedly stayed at Epstein's apartments in Paris and New York, and vacationed at his estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Epstein, a US multimillionaire who died in custody in 2019, had orchestrated an abuse ring affecting an unknown number of victims, including minors. Jagland's lawyer mentioned that his client is cooperating with the investigating authorities but does not believe there are grounds for criminal prosecution.
Officials from Norway's economic crime authority have conducted searches of Jagland's residences as part of their investigation. Jagland, who served as Norway's prime minister from 1996 to 1997, led the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019 and was also the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee for several years. At Norway's request, the Council of Europe recently lifted Jagland's immunity for the decade he headed the organization.