French Authorities Open Investigation Into Former Culture Minister Over Links To Jeffrey Epstein | EUROtoday

PARIS, Feb 7 (Reuters) – The French Financial Prosecutor’s Office mentioned on Saturday it had opened an investigation into former tradition minister Jack Lang and his daughter Caroline on suspicion of ‘aggravated tax fraud laundering’, a transfer that follows the discharge of recordsdata linked to late convicted US intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Pressure is rising on Lang to resign as president of the Arab World Institute in Paris since recordsdata launched on January 30 by the US Department of Justice confirmed Epstein and Lang corresponding intermittently between 2012 and 2019, when the financier died by suicide in jail.

French media together with Le Monde, Le Figaro and Mediapart mentioned the preliminary investigation had been opened after the US paperwork revealed years of correspondence and monetary hyperlinks between Lang and Epstein.

The workplace confirmed the investigation however didn’t present additional particulars.

Jack Lang has been summoned to report on Sunday to the Foreign Ministry, which supervises the Arab World Institute, a cultural and analysis establishment that promotes understanding of the Arab world.

Lang mentioned on X that he welcomed the investigation “with serenity and even relief”.

“It will allow all the light to be shed on accusations attacking my integrity and my honor,” he added.

“The accusations leveled against me are baseless, and I will demonstrate this, beyond the sound and fury of the media and digital courts.”

Lang’s title seems greater than 600 occasions within the Epstein recordsdata, in keeping with a Reuters assessment of them. On Monday, Caroline Lang, a long-time media govt, resigned as head of France’s Independent Production Union after her personal hyperlinks to Epstein surfaced.

Jack Lang’s lawyer informed BFM TV that he would “prove that he is not involved in any malpractice or criminal offense”.

“There has been no movement of funds … But I think it is normal for the justice to want to verify this,” Laurent Merlet mentioned.

The file dump has elevated scrutiny of Epstein’s world connections with public figures together with Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor- the youthful brother of King Charles – Peter Mandelson, the previous UK ambassador to the United States and Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit.

(Reporting by Camille Raynaud, Tangi Salaun and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Louise Heavens and Kevin Liffey)