With the main portion of the trial of former Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde concluded, Geir continues to maintain his innocence, and is confident he will be acquitted.
Geir stands accuse of negligence and mismanagement leading to the bank collapse of 2008. Numerous witnesses have come forward in the course of the trial, from former Central Bank chairman Davíð Oddsson to former and current members of government, as well as former high-rollers in Iceland’s banking community.
Prosecutor Sigríður Friðjónsdóttir concluded her final arguments last Friday, RÚV reports, by stating that when it comes to the personal responsibility of a government minister, the law is clear. Geir had many opportunities to step in and prevent disaster, she said, all of which he chose to ignore.
Andri Árnason, Geir’s defence attorney, argued on the other hand that many matters were kept deliberately hidden from Geir until it was too late, if they were revealed at all.
For his part, Geir says he is innocent, Vísir reports.
“I’m very glad this part of the trial is over,” he said. “I will wait for their decision without anxiety. I am innocent of all the charges against me and am optimistic of what will become of the decision of the court.”
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