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World

Norway's parliament opens public hearings into Epstein ties to diplomats and politicians

Norway's parliament begins public hearings into Jeffrey Epstein's ties to the country's diplomats and politicians, summoning 11 current and former ministers including the prime minister.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 1 min read

The Stortinget, Norway's yellow-brick parliament building in Oslo, fronted by Eidsvolls plass.
Photo: gcardinal, via Wikimedia Commons

Norway’s parliament begins public hearings on Wednesday into ties between late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the country’s diplomats and politicians, in a scandal that has shaken the nation’s elite.

The hearings are being led by Jonas Andersen Sayed at parliament’s Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs. He said the government must explain what it is doing to restore trust in the foreign service: “There are many people who have demonstrated very poor judgement,” he told Reuters of those who had friendships with Epstein.

The committee has summoned 11 current and former foreign ministers and development ministers. Among them is Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, foreign minister from 2005 to 2012. Stoere has said he had no relation to Epstein.

Former foreign minister Borge Brende is also due to testify. He resigned as president and CEO of the World Economic Forum after revelations of his friendly relations with Epstein, saying he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities when they first met in 2018 and regretted not investigating him more thoroughly.

Former development minister Erik Solheim, testifying on Wednesday, has called the probe an overreaction that will throttle the foreign service as diplomats opt for needless self-restraint, harming the national interest.

Sources

More on this topic: all World stories

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