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The outgoing president of the Arab World Institute (IMA), Jack Lang, faced searches on Monday at multiple sites, including the very institution where he delivered his farewell speech. Lang, a former French Minister of Culture, along with his daughter Caroline Lang, is under investigation for alleged «aggravated tax fraud laundering». The probe seeks to uncover any possible financial links between Lang and Jeffrey Epstein, who faced charges in the United States for the sexual exploitation of minors.
As reported by AFP, Pascal Prache, head of the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF), confirmed that the investigation has been ongoing since February 6. While no charges have been filed against Jack Lang yet, the revelations suggesting frequent interactions with the American financier, who was found dead in his cell a month after his 2019 arrest by the FBI, led to his resignation.
Despite the allegations, the former minister has been actively defending himself since early this month. In an appearance on French television, he asserted that he «never received a single cent» from Epstein. However, documents released by the U.S. justice system indicate that his name appears 673 times in communications with the disgraced financier.
Lang dismisses the accusations of conflicts of interest as «unfounded». However, correspondence between him and Epstein mentions a villa in Marrakech, priced at 5.4 million euros (540 million dirhams), sold by an acquaintance. Lang maintains that he merely acted as a connector between a buyer and a seller, insisting he has «never seen» the property.
