France opens investigation against former minister involved in Epstein files

Epstein case shakes politicians and Royal Families in Europe French prosecutors informed France Presse this Friday (6) that they have opened a preliminary investigation against former minister Jack Lang and his daughter, Caroline, after their names appeared in recently released files on financier Jeffrey Epstein. Lang is the most prominent French personality cited in the documents, published by the United States Court. He and his daughter will be investigated on suspicion of “money laundering resulting from aggravated tax fraud”, due to possible financial relationships with Epstein. 📱Download the g1 app to see news in real time and for free The French press reported that Lang, current director of the Arab World Institute (IMA), in Paris, had made frequent requests for resources or favors to the financier. The former minister claimed to have no knowledge of the crimes attributed to Epstein. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told AFP he had summoned Lang to a meeting next Sunday. Since the release of the new files by the American courts, calls for him to leave his position at the institute have increased. “The first elements revealed in these documents are new and extremely serious” and will require detailed analysis, Barrot said. Lang did not respond to AFP’s questions, but his lawyer, Laurent Merlet, stated that “the objective is to understand his version of the facts” and denied that the documents prove the existence of “a close relationship” between the former minister and Epstein. Caroline’s name also appears in the records of a company created abroad in partnership with the financier. A film producer, she resigned this week from her position as president of the Independent Production Union. His father, on the other hand, ignored the pressure and refused to leave the leadership of the IMA. Epstein case affects authorities and royalty in Europe Jack Lang, former French Minister of Culture, posing with Jeffrey Epstein at the Louvre pyramid in Paris. AFP/US Department of Justice/HO In addition to the former French minister, the Jeffrey Epstein case also involves other authorities and members of royalty in Europe. In Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit apologized for her friendship with Epstein, and the government is considering opening an investigation into the Foreign Ministry’s possible ties to him. In the United Kingdom, pressure is growing on Prince Andrew to give evidence in the United States, while the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington has generated criticism for his closeness to Epstein. In Slovakia, a national security advisor resigned after the release of emails in which he talked to young women with the financier. In Norway, former prime minister Thorbjoern Jagland and other former diplomats are also under scrutiny. Jagland is being investigated on suspicion of aggravated corruption and claims he will prove his innocence.

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