The Norwegian Foreign Office (UD) has started investigating the Peres Peace Centre in Israel, and into the way the centre has used Norwegian monitary contributions.

It was the Peres Centre that awarded a peace prize worth US$ 100,000 to Mona Juul and Terje Roed-Larsen.

The centre has received Norwegian grants worth NOK 10 million over the last five years. The centre’s main intention was to improve relations between Israeli and Palestinian youth.

-UD now wants to know if the money was spent for the intended purpose, says press spokesman Victor Roenneberg. UD has asked office of the Auditor General of Norway for assistance in going through the accounts submitted by the centre.

UD is of the opinion that Norway’s Ambassador to Israel, Mona Juul, and UN Envoy Terje Roed-Larsen contravened the Civil Service Act when they failed to inform the department of the cash involved in the peace prize awarded by the Peres Peace Centre in 1999.

The two each received a cheque in the amount of US$50,000, as part of the prize awarded for their contribution towards the process which resulted in the so-called Oslo Accord.

This article ran in the Norway Post on May 7, 2002

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