Pal Langseth, head of Okolin’s specialized economic crime unit, said Jaglan was suspected of “serious corruption.”

Norwegian police say they have conducted searches at properties owned by former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland as part of a corruption investigation into his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The investigation was launched after the U.S. Department of Justice released documents in January showing that Yagland and/or his family may have lived or vacationed at Epstein’s residence between 2011 and 2018, AFP reported.

Norwegian television footage showed investigators removing several boxes from Jagland’s Oslo apartment during a search on Thursday.

Jagland, 74, served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1996 to 1997. During the period mentioned in the file, he served as Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and Secretary-General of the European Commission.

According to Agence France-Presse, in documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein called him a “Nobel big shot.”

Pal Lonseth, head of Okokrim’s specialized economic crime unit, said Jagland’s home in Oslo had been raided and he was now officially suspected of “serious corruption.”

His lawyer, Anders Brosveet, confirmed the search and said it was standard procedure for such investigations.

Brothwaite said: “Yageland wants to contribute to ensuring that the case is fully clarified and the next step is that he will be questioned by O’Colin – as he himself said he will be.”

The raid was launched after the Council of Europe’s Council of Ministers waived Jagland’s diplomatic immunity on Wednesday at the request of Norwegian authorities. In their plea, police told the city council they were investigating whether the benefits Jagrande may have received constituted “bribery”.

O’Colin cited multiple instances of Yagland and/or his family using Epstein’s apartments in Paris and New York and his property in Palm Beach, Florida, for lodging between 2011 and 2018.

“On at least one of these private vacations, six adults appeared to have their travel expenses paid for by Mr. Epstein,” O’Colin wrote.

Jagland has previously insisted that his relationship with Epstein was part of normal diplomatic activity, but this month he told Corriere della Sera that he had shown “poor judgement”.