Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs failed to submit a critical internal memo to the Office of the Auditor General during a major audit. The withheld document detailed warnings about young Eastern European women placed in brief internships at a Norwegian-funded think tank, the International Peace Institute (IPI), and the subsequent sharing of their photos with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
This omission occurred while the Auditor General was reviewing over a decade of Norwegian state support to IPI, which totaled more than 130 million kroner. The audit examined the Foreign Ministry's management and oversight of these substantial public grants. Former Auditor General Per Kristian Foss, who led the scrutiny, stated the missing memo would have been of obvious interest to the investigation.
The Missing Warning
The memo in question originated within the Foreign Ministry. It reportedly described how young, attractive women from Eastern Europe were given short-term trainee positions at IPI in New York, often lacking relevant professional backgrounds. The document contained the specific warning that photographs of these women were forwarded to Jeffrey Epstein.
In 2020, this same memo was forwarded from the Norwegian National Authority for Prosecution of Organized and Other Serious Crime to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. Its existence and contents were therefore known to specific Norwegian officials. Despite this, it was not included in the extensive documentation the Foreign Ministry provided to the parliamentary auditors.
Scrutiny of Millions in Funding
The Office of the Auditor General's review focused on the period from 2003 to 2019, during which IPI received consistent financial support from Norway. The think tank was led during much of this time by Terje Rød-Larsen, a former Labour Party minister and prominent diplomat. His wife, Mona Juul, is a former State Secretary and served as Norway's Ambassador to the United Nations.
The audit's core objective was to assess whether the Foreign Ministry had adequate systems for following up on the grants to ensure they were used effectively and for their intended purposes. The delivery of comprehensive documentation is a fundamental requirement for such a parliamentary audit to function properly. The absence of a relevant, known internal warning raises questions about the completeness of the information provided.
IPI's Connections and Context
The International Peace Institute, headquartered in New York, operates as an independent think tank focused on international peace and security policy. Its high-level connections to Norwegian politics and diplomacy through its leadership were longstanding. The substantial public funding it received was channeled through the Foreign Ministry, which is responsible for ensuring proper use of such funds.
The revelation about the memo links the institute to the global scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. This connection was not part of the Auditor General's formal review at the time, as the relevant document was not presented to them. The audit report, published without this information, examined the formal administration of funds but could not consider these specific, serious allegations.
Questions of Transparency and Accountability
Per Kristian Foss's comment underscores the significance of the omission. The Auditor General's office relies on government ministries to provide all pertinent information for its audits, which are a key tool for parliamentary control over the executive branch. The failure to submit a document that detailed potential serious misconduct associated with a state-funded entity strikes at the heart of this oversight function.
The Foreign Ministry had not provided an explanation for why the memo was excluded from the audit documentation. This lack of response leaves open the question of whether the omission was an oversight or a deliberate choice. It also prompts further inquiry into what other relevant information may have been absent from the audit process.
The case touches on multiple areas of public concern: the rigorous oversight of millions in taxpayer funds, institutional transparency, and the ethical responsibilities of state-supported international organizations. The fact that a warning existed within the ministry but was not shared with the state's top financial auditor suggests a breakdown in the flow of critical information.