France’s financial crimes prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into former culture and education minister Jack Lang and his daughter Caroline over suspected money laundering linked to aggravated tax fraud, following new revelations connected to late US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Jeffrey Epstein © Mena Today
France’s financial crimes prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into former culture and education minister Jack Lang and his daughter Caroline over suspected money laundering linked to aggravated tax fraud, following new revelations connected to late US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The inquiry focuses on alleged financial ties between the Lang family and Epstein, whose network has resurfaced after the release of new US court documents. Prosecutors stressed that a mention in the files does not in itself imply wrongdoing.
Lang, 86, is now facing mounting pressure to resign as president of the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA), a prominent Paris-based cultural institution largely funded by the French foreign ministry. On Friday, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that Lang had been summoned for talks this weekend, citing “new and extremely serious” elements that require close scrutiny.
French media report that Lang had repeatedly sought financial support from Epstein for cultural projects, while his daughter appeared in corporate records of an offshore company reportedly co-owned with the financier.
Caroline Lang, a film producer, has denied investing money and said she was “incredibly naive” about Epstein’s intentions. No evidence has emerged linking either of them to Epstein’s sexual crimes.
Despite denying any knowledge of Epstein’s activities and refusing to step down so far, Lang’s position looks increasingly untenable.
At 86, and now under formal investigation, he may struggle to remain at the head of the IMA, which receives more than €12 million a year in public funding and is expected to uphold the highest ethical standards.
The investigation has intensified political and institutional pressure, raising serious questions about Lang’s ability to continue leading one of France’s flagship cultural institutions.
The IMA is a unique hybrid institution, co-managed by France and 22 Arab states.
Its board of directors is split evenly between representatives of Arab countries and figures appointed by the French government.
Arab member states are expected to contribute financially, though payments have often been irregular.
By Sam Heilbron
Hong Kong media tycoon and democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai will be sentenced on February 9, the city's judiciary said on Friday, in a closely watched national security trial that has drawn international criticism including from the U.S. and Britain.
The United States wants Russia and Ukraine to find a solution on how to end the war, the largest since World War Two, before summer, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.
Pressure rose on Friday on former French culture minister Jack Lang to resign as president of the Arab World Institute over his ties to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after the foreign ministry summoned him to discuss the matter.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.