Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland is under police investigation on "suspicion of aggravated corruption" over his alleged links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, police said on Thursday.

"We consider there are reasonable grounds for investigation, given that he held ⁠the positions of chair of the Nobel Committee and Secretary General of the Council of ‌Europe during the period covered by the released documents," Paal Loeseth, director of Norway's ‍economic crime police unit, Oekokrim, ⁠said in a statement.

"Among other things, Okokrim will investigate whether gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with his position," the statement added. 

Anders Brosveet, a lawyer for Jagland, said his client welcomed the police opening an investigation and ​would fully contribute to it.

"It is good for Jagland to receive an authoritative clarification from Okokrim, rather than having the entire press corps conducting their own little private investigations," Brosveet told the AFP news agency.

Who is Thorbjorn Jagland?

Jagland, 75, served as Norway's prime minister from 1996 to 1997 and later as secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019.

The police also asked that ​Jagland's immunity be lifted to facilitate the investigation.

Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said on Thursday that Norway would submit a proposal to the Council of Europe to revoke Jagland's immunity. The Council of Europe is an international human rights organization; it is not part of the European Union.

"It is important that the facts of this case are brought to light," Eide said in a statement.

Between January 2009 and March 2015, Jagland also chaired the committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize.

On Wednesday, Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, told journalists they were waiting to hear what Jagland had to say about his reported links with Epstein.

"If it turns out that Thorbjorn Jagland received significant financial benefits from Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a member of the Nobel Committee, that would be contrary to our code of ethics," he said.

Latest Epstein file release rattles Norway

Exchanges between Jagland and Epstein have set off a furor in Norway.

"I have been in Tirana (Albania) extraordinary girls," Jagland wrote in message to Epstein dated May 2012.

"I can't keep it going only with young women as you know," he said in January 2013.

Jagland told the daily Aftenposten on Sunday that he had shown "poor judgment" by maintaining ties with Epstein.

Jagland is among several prominent Norwegians facing renewed scrutiny after a new cache of nearly three million documents was published by the US Justice Department last week.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit has also admitted poor judgment in maintaining connections with Epstein after he was convicted.

On Monday, Norway suspended high-profile diplomat Mona Juul pending an investigation into her alleged links, while the World Economic Forum announced an independent review of its CEO and former Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende over his dealings with Epstein.

While appearing in the documents does not imply wrongdoing, they show connections between Epstein's circle and public figures who have often downplayed or denied their existence.

Edited by: Sean Sinico