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Iceland ex-PM to go to trial
Former Icelandic Prime Minister Geir Haarde is to go on trial on charges of negligence in his handling of the 2008 financial crisis during which three of the country’s major banks collapsed.
Former Prime Minister of Iceland, Geir Haarde has rejected charges of negligence which led the 2008 financial crisis
As leader of the Independence Party government in 2008, Haarde is being accused of negligence because he had not ensured financial safeguards were in place.
Haarde rejects the charges as "political persecution", and said he was only doing what he thought was good for the country at the time. He believes the trial will lead to his vindication.
The proceedings will be held at the Landsdomur court, a special body to try cabinet ministers, which has never before heard a case.
Some Icelanders see the trial of Haarde as scapegoating, while others argue that public accountability is essential following the country's financial collapse.
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Irrespective of whether the Iceland PM is found guilty or not, that is what i call public accountability carried out to the extreme. Anybody, being he/she a political figure or public officer entrusted with the people's money should be held accountable for his wrong decisions, even if these were taken in good faith. That is what happens in private companies, where one is similarly dealing with somebody else's monies.
