Page "Anneli Jäätteenmäki" Paragraph 6

After the leaked documents were published in several newspapers in March, the police launched a criminal investigation based on the Official Secrets Act.

On 11 June prime Minister Jäätteenmäki was heard as a witness by the police, which led to increasing pressure on her to come clean on her role in the leak.

The same week, the incriminating minutes of a meeting of Centre Party leaders were leaked to the press, as later came clear, via the Centre Party second vice-chairman Hannu Takkula.

On 16 June it came to light that a presidential aide, Martti Manninen, affiliated with the Centre Party, had leaked the Foreign Ministry documents.

On 18 June Jäätteenmäki gave her " full explanation " to Parliament and apologised to the President, claiming that she had been faxed the documents without asking for them, and that she had not known of their secrecy.

The Parliament was not satisfied with her account, and once Manninen on the same afternoon publicly claimed that Jäätteenmäki had specifically and forcefully asked for the information, and that he would be able to prove it, her coalition partners made it clear that they had no trust in her leadership.

She resigned the same evening, citing the lack of political trust, and without admitting any wrongdoing.