Norway premier admits he 'smuggled' elephant tusks

The Norwegian Prime Minister has admitted he unwittingly smuggled two illegal elephant tusks into the country.

Kjell Magne Bondevik was given the ivory tusks by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo during an official visit to Africa in February 2000.

He brought them home without an import permit and in violation of a global ban on ivory trade.

In a letter to the Norwegian Customs and Excise service, the prime minister's office admits the illegal import and promises to review its procedures for handling official gifts.

"It is a tradition and normal international protocol that gifts are given during foreign visits by a head of government," the letter said.

"When one receives gifts from a country's highest authority, it is natural to assume that there is nothing to hinder taking them out of the host country."

However, the office admitted no one had checked whether the gifts would be legal in Norway. Trade in ivory and elephant products is banned by Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species, known as CITES, to protect elephants from poaching.

The prime minister's office said it was not even sure whether Mr Bondevik had opened the gifts or knew what they where. Usually, a member of his staff would take care of such gifts.

The prime minister has surrendered the tusk to customs officials. He also turned in an elephant foot vase given to him by Mozambique's President and a snakeskin handbag give to his wife by the South African President during the same Africa tour.

It is not clear whether any charges will be filed in the case.