France probes diplomat linked to Epstein scandal

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced that an internal investigation into a French diplomat’s alleged connections to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be pursued “all the way.”

The inquiry, launched within the French Foreign Ministry, is ongoing and intended to support judicial authorities. Disciplinary proceedings have already begun against the diplomat implicated in the Epstein Files, News.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Barrot told that it is too early to determine responsibility but emphasized that the ministry will ensure accountability. The case was referred to prosecutors under Article 40 of France’s Code of Criminal Procedure after revelations surfaced on Feb. 10.

The documents link diplomat Fabrice Aidan, who worked at the UN on secondment from France in 2010, with Epstein. Aidan was also associated with Norwegian diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen, who is under investigation in Norway alongside his wife for alleged corruption tied to Epstein.

Barrot confirmed he could not verify what information Aidan may have shared with Epstein and noted that Aidan had previously been investigated in the US for viewing child pornography, a matter that the French Foreign Ministry did not question at the time.

The disclosures come after the US Justice Department released more than 3 million pages of documents, including 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Survivors and victims’ families say many pages remain heavily redacted, leaving vital information missing.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada