Norway’s ambassador to Jordan, Mona Juul, has submitted her resignation following the Epstein scandal. The Norwegian diplomat had played an important role in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“It is a fair and necessary decision… Juul’s contacts with the convicted sex offender Epstein demonstrate a serious lapse in judgment,” said Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, stressing that the decision was taken after discussions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Norwegian media, Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in 2019, had transferred $10 million to the two children of Juul and her husband, diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen, who had also been involved in negotiations related to the Oslo Accords.
Eide said the ministry will continue contacts with Juul as part of an ongoing investigation to determine the scope of their relationships and financial transactions.
Speaking on behalf of his client, lawyer Thomas Skjelbred stated that Juul resigned “because the situation she is in prevents her from responsibly carrying out her duties and has been a major source of stress for her and her family.”
Norway’s political and royal circles have also been affected by the Epstein case. Names mentioned include Børge Brende, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum, as well as former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland (1996–1997), who is currently under investigation for corruption.
Princess Mette-Marit, the wife of Norway’s crown prince, whose name appears several times in the millions of pages of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice, said on Friday that she “deeply regrets” her “friendship” with the American sex offender. /Panorama.al
