Kiss-and-tell book drama to continue at Supreme Court

Leave to appeal has been granted in the case concerning a kiss-and-tell book written by Susan Ruusunen, the ex-girlfriend of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre).
     
The issue at hand is the book Pääministerin morsian (“The Prime Minister’s Bride”), in which Ruusunen revealed information about her nine-month relationship with Vanhanen.
      On Thursday, the Supreme Court announced that leave to appeal has been granted to both the prosecutor and the two defendants, Susan Ruusunen and Kari Ojala of the publishing house Etukeno.
      The granting of leave to appeal left publisher Kari Ojala with conflicting feelings. ”That is what we wanted, and naturally I am satisfied. But going to court once again is not going to be very nice”, he said.
      According to referendary Jukka-Pekka Salonen, the handling of the case is to resume at the Supreme Court in the autumn at the earliest.
     
In February, the Helsinki Court of Appeals found Susan Ruusunen and her publisher Kari Ojala guilty of violating the privacy of Matti Vanhanen.
      They were sentenced to pay fines and damages.
      An earlier district court decision in March 2008 had acquitted both defendants.
      In addition to fines, Ojala was also ordered to forfeit EUR 4,260 in ill-gotten gains from the sale of the book.
      Ruusunen was ordered to pay EUR 4,270.
      The appeal court also ordered Ojala to pay Vanhanen EUR 1,000 in damages for the suffering that he was caused, and to pay the Prime Minister’s court costs.
      Ojala estimates that the aggregate sum would amount to more than EUR 15,000.
     
Initially Vanhanen filed a request for a police investigation, as he felt that the book revealed very intimate information about him and his family without his consent.
      The subject has been followed with interest, not least as a test-case of the ability of figures in the public eye to pick and choose the visibility they enjoy.
      The initial decision to acquit was reached after a vote, with two lay members of the lower court favouring an acquittal.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Prime Minister´s ex-girlfriend wants to appeal court ruling to Supreme Court (17.2.2009)
  Court of Appeals imposes fine over Vanhanen kiss-and-tell book (11.2.2009)
  Prosecution to appeal acquittal in Vanhanen book case (7.3.2008)
  Publisher and ex-girlfriend acquitted in privacy case - Vanhanen to appeal decision (6.3.2008)
  Vanhanen-Kuronen court case begins (15.2.2008)