BY Rosemary
French financial investigators on Monday carried out a search of the Arab World Institute in Paris as part of a widening inquiry into its former president, ex-culture minister Jack Lang, and his past connections to disgraced U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office.
The National Financial Prosecutor (PNF) confirmed in a statement that the institute was among several sites searched in connection with a preliminary investigation opened earlier this month. The probe focuses on suspicions of tax fraud involving Lang and his daughter, Caroline Lang, following the publication in the United States of extensive new documents related to Epstein’s network and financial dealings.
Lang, a prominent figure in French cultural and political life who served as culture minister under late Socialist President Francois Mitterrand, resigned from his post at the Arab World Institute earlier this month. He had led the institution since 2013, overseeing exhibitions and cultural diplomacy initiatives aimed at strengthening ties between France and the Arab world.
Prosecutors have emphasized that the investigation remains at a preliminary stage and that searches are intended to gather documents and electronic records that may clarify financial flows and correspondence. The PNF did not provide additional details about the scope of materials seized or the timeline of the inquiry.
The case gained momentum after U.S. authorities released millions of pages of court filings, emails and related documents connected to Epstein, whose social and professional network included prominent political, business and cultural figures across several countries. The disclosures have triggered renewed scrutiny in Europe of individuals who had professional or personal contact with Epstein in the years following his 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Lang has acknowledged corresponding with Epstein between 2012 and 2019 but has maintained that he was unaware of any criminal conduct beyond what had been publicly reported at the time. Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, a death that was ruled a suicide by U.S. authorities.
Both Jack Lang and Caroline Lang have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or receipt of financial benefits from Epstein. Their lawyer, Laurent Merlet, told French media earlier this month that there had been “no movement of funds” between his clients and the financier. He reiterated that position following news of the searches, emphasizing that cooperation with investigators would continue.
The Arab World Institute, a cultural foundation overseen by France’s foreign ministry, said it could not immediately comment on the police action. The institute, inaugurated in 1987, has long served as a venue for exhibitions, debates and research promoting dialogue between France and Arab nations.
The fallout from the newly released Epstein files has extended beyond France. Paris prosecutors on Saturday established a dedicated task force to analyze documents potentially implicating French nationals or institutions. The team is coordinating closely with the PNF and national police to determine whether additional investigations are warranted.
Among the matters under review is a separate case involving French diplomat Fabrice Aidan, who has been accused in the documents of transferring United Nations materials to Epstein. Aidan, who worked at the United Nations from July 2006 to April 2013, has rejected the allegations through his legal counsel.
Legal analysts say the creation of a specialized review team signals the seriousness with which French authorities are treating the potential domestic ramifications of the Epstein disclosures. However, they caution that preliminary investigations can take months before prosecutors decide whether to file formal charges or close a case.
For now, the search of the Arab World Institute marks a significant development in the French dimension of the broader Epstein affair, underscoring how the repercussions of the financier’s activities continue to reverberate years after his death.
Original article
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