Norwegian Diplomat Under Investigation for Epstein Ties

Wed Feb 11 2026 03:42:49 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Mona Juul, a former ambassador, is facing scrutiny over her connections to Jeffrey Epstein, prompting a police investigation into potential corruption.

Norwegian authorities have initiated an investigation into diplomat Mona Juul and her husband following revelations of their connections to Jeffrey Epstein. Juul recently resigned after media reports surfaced, indicating that her children were allegedly set to receive millions from Epstein's will. The investigation will explore whether there were any benefits tied to Juul's governmental position amidst allegations of 'aggravated corruption'.

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 $5m (£3.6m) in a will allegedly signed by Epstein days before he died.

Emails released in the so-called 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 does not recognise the accusations made against her and Rød-Larsen's lawyer said he is confident the investigation will clarify there is no basis for criminal liability.

Appearance in the Epstein files is not an indication of wrongdoing. Norway's Foreign Ministry stated that 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 investigate whether benefits were received in connection with her position, referring to Juul.

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, a significant diplomatic breakthrough in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Norwegian media reports indicate that Rød-Larsen had extensive communication with Epstein and arranged to meet him with Juul multiple times.

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 now among several prominent figures in Norway drawn into the growing scandal associated with Epstein's files. Other notable figures include Crown Princess Mette-Marit, former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, and World Economic Forum CEO Borge Brende.

Mette-Marit gave a profound apology to Norwegians after it was revealed that she had exchanged messages with Epstein for three years. Jagland, the former head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, is also being investigated over his alleged links to Epstein. His lawyer stated they would fully cooperate with the police investigation. The WEF has initiated an independent review into Brende's interactions with Epstein, who acknowledged meeting Epstein three times and communicating via email.

Correction 9 February: An earlier version of this article carried a picture of Danish politician Mona Juul, who is not the subject of this story.