OSLO: Norwegian police said on Thursday they had searched properties belonging to former prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland following the launch of a corruption probe over his dealings with US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Jagland is being investigated after documents released by the US Justice Department in January suggested that he and/or his family stayed or vacationed with Epstein between 2011 and 2018.

Having served as prime minister from 1996 to 1997, Jagland was at that time secretary general of the Council of Europe and chaired until 2015 the committee that selects the winner of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

In the documents released, Epstein referred to him as “the Nobel big shot”. Pal Lonseth, chief of the specialised Okokrim economic crimes unit, said that Jagland’s residence in Oslo had been searched and that he was now formally suspected of “aggravated corruption”.

“Okokrim also conducted searches at two other properties in Risor and Rauland” in southern Norway, Lonseth said. Images shown on Norwegian TV showed several people at Jagland’s Oslo apartment carrying boxes. He was filmed smiling as he left the premises with his lawyer. The searches were made possible by the lifting of his immunity on Wednesday by the Council of Europe, Lonseth explained. Police opened an investigation against the 75-year-old last week.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2026