Posted on 03/19/2004 12:42:51 AM PST by JohnHuang2
HELSINKI, March 19 (Reuters) - A Helsinki court on Friday acquitted Finland's first woman prime minister of charges related to the leaking of secret documents on Iraq, a scandal that forced her to step down a year ago.
The court cleared Anneli Jaatteenmaki of a charge of inciting or assisting the breach of official secrets, a scandal dubbed "Iraq-gate" by Finnish media that shocked a nation known abroad for its lack of corruption and straight-laced politics.
But it said Martti Manninen, a former presidential aide who fed hundreds of pages of information to Jaatteenmaki by fax, should pay 3,600 euros ($4,411).
"There was no evidence shown that Jaatteenmaki would have incited Manninen's crime," the court said in its decision.
Prosecutors had said Jaatteenmaki repeatedly asked Manninen for information on U.S.-Finland talks on Iraq involving her predecessor Paavo Lipponen, data that was later used to help her Centre Party win parliamentary elections in 2003.
Jaatteenmaki denied asking for the information. She said she was surprised when she started to receive faxes from Manninen.
In June Jaatteenmaki will stand for elections to the European Parliament, one year after she stepped down as head of Finland's shortest sitting non-caretaker administration for almost 60 years.
Manninen's lawyer was not immediately available for comment on whether he will appeal.
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