Antero Siljola, a member of the Board of Directors of SanomaWSOY, issued the following personal statement today concerning share trades that became public knowledge in 1998.
SANOMAWSOY CORPORATION
Raija Kariola Vice President Investor Relations and Group Communications
DISTRIBUTION Helsinki Exchanges Principal media
Personal statement issued on June 7, 2000
The Helsinki District Prosecutor has arraigned me on a case of misusing insider information. The charge is based on four share trades that I made between 1996 and 1998, in which I purchased a total of 450 Series B shares in Werner Söderström Corporation and 375 Series B shares in Rautakirja Oyj. The District Prosecutor has charged that, as President and CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of Werner Söderström Corporation and as a member of the Board of Directors of Rautakirja Oyj, I made use of insider information in the share transactions referred to above that could have affected the market value of the shares in question.
As I stated at the time this matter originally came up in 1998, the share purchases in question were part of a long-term investment plan that I had drawn up and were funded out of my personal cash funds. By purchasing the said shares, I wished to show my commitment to the companies concerned. The shares that I purchased at the time are still in my ownership.
The case is to be heard in Department 5/11 of the Helsinki District Court, and the main hearing will begin on June 19.
I remain a member of the Board of Directors of both SanomaWSOY Corporation and Rautakirja Oyj, but I do not currently take part in the activities of either body.
Helsinki, June 7, 2000
Antero Siljola