OSLO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Norway's parliament, the Storting, on Tuesday unanimously approved the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to examine issues arising from the publication of the Epstein files.

Under the decision, parliament requested its presidium to submit a proposal outlining the commission's mandate, name, and composition, as well as draft legislation governing its work, procedures, and access to information, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said during a parliamentary debate that lawmakers are united in their strong reaction to the revelations in the Epstein files, stressing that an independent review is essential to maintaining public trust and ensuring that the full facts are brought to light.

Store added that the case is being pursued on multiple fronts, including a police investigation. He said Norway's National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Okokrim) has opened investigations into three individuals on suspicion of aggravated corruption and complicity in aggravated corruption, with the Foreign Ministry assisting the probe.

The parliamentary move comes amid growing scrutiny over Norwegian links to the Epstein files. In February, former Norwegian prime minister and former Council of Europe secretary-general Thorbjorn Jagland was formally named as a suspect in an aggravated corruption investigation related to the case.

The two other Norwegians under investigation are former ambassador Mona Juul and her husband, Terje Rod-Larsen. According to Okokrim, Juul is suspected of aggravated corruption linked to her roles in Norway's Foreign Ministry, while Rod-Larsen is suspected of complicity in aggravated corruption.

Epstein, who died in 2019, was a U.S. financier accused of sex trafficking. The U.S. Department of Justice has released more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related documents over the past months to comply with a law passed by Congress. ■