Oslo – The legal defense teams for two senior Norwegian diplomats have sharply criticized the corruption investigation launched against them, arguing the charges are overly broad and lack specific evidence. Former Ambassador to Jordan Mona Juul and her husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, are under investigation for alleged corruption related to their connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The probe, initiated by Norway’s Økokrim – the agency for investigating economic and environmental crime – followed the latest release of documents linked to Epstein. Defense attorney Thomas Skjelbred, representing Juul, stated the indictment is “so general that it cannot practically be refuted,” according to a statement released Thursday evening. He added that the broad nature of the charge was used to justify a search, despite his client’s full cooperation.
Skjelbred argued that the core requirement for a corruption charge – a link between benefit and official position – is absent in this case. He pointed out that some of the questioned conduct occurred during a period when Juul was on abandon from her position within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Simply put, there must be something to bribe with. There isn’t in this case,” Skjelbred stated. “Any service between two private parties will therefore not be corruption and fall outside the provision.”
Terje Rød-Larsen’s attorney, John Christian Elden, echoed the criticism, claiming the investigation violates fundamental human rights due to the vagueness of the allegations. “When the indictment is so vague and unlimited that everything the clients have done over several decades is drawn into suspicion, this violates basic human rights,” Elden said. He characterized the indictment as “a framework of speculation” and asserted that the charges against Rød-Larsen should be automatically dropped.
Rød-Larsen acknowledges that, in retrospect, some of his interactions with Epstein appear unwise, given current knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Elden stated that his client “would never have had contact” had he known what is known today, but emphasized that “imprudence is not a crime.” Both Juul and Rød-Larsen have already provided statements to Økokrim, and no further interviews are currently scheduled, according to Elden.
First State Prosecutor Marianne Bender, of Økokrim, rejected the defense’s criticisms. “Økokrim believes there is reasonable grounds to suspect gross corruption and complicity in this,” Bender stated in a response to VG, a Norwegian news outlet. She confirmed the indictment is broadly formulated, which she described as standard practice in the early stages of complex investigations. “It is nothing but a human rights violation. The court has agreed with this, and has also concluded that there is reasonable grounds for suspicion.”
Bender added that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on gathering evidence both supporting and refuting the allegations. She declined to comment on the possibility of formal charges being filed at this stage.
The investigation follows reports stemming from the release of Epstein-related documents detailing a closer relationship between the diplomat couple and Epstein than previously known. These documents revealed that Juul and Rød-Larsen visited Epstein’s island in 2011 with their children and subsequently purchased a luxury apartment in Oslo’s Frogner district at a significantly discounted price facilitated by Epstein’s involvement.
Both Juul and Rød-Larsen have publicly distanced themselves from Epstein in recent statements. Juul resigned as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan on February 8th, a position she assumed in 2024. Prior to that, she served as Norway’s ambassador to Israel and held positions at the Norwegian UN delegation in New York, as well as serving as State Secretary to former Foreign Minister Thorbjørn Jagland. Rød-Larsen previously held several positions within the United Nations and served as president of the International Peace Institute (IPI) from 2005 to 2020.