White House aide found guilty on 4 count

Washington, Mar 7 (UNI) Former White House aide Lewis Libby has been found guilty of lying, perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation into the leak of a covert CIA officer's identity in 2003.

He will remain free on bail until a pre-sentencing hearing in May.

Libby's attorney Ted Wells said yesterday, ''we intend to file a motion for a new trial and, if that is denied, we will appeal the conviction and we have every confidence that ultimately Libby will be vindicated.'' Libby, 56, a former chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney, could face up to 30 years in prison and more than one million dollars in fines.

Mr Cheney, in his reaction, said he was ''very disappointed'' with the verdict.

Libby was convicted on four of the five counts of either lying to or misleading Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigators during the investigation into the leakage of the identity of former covert CIA officer Valerie Plame in 2003. The identity was revealed in a newspaper column.

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald launched an investigation into whether Ms Plame's identity was leaked as part of a White House effort to discredit her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson. Mr Wilson had accused the Bush administration of distorting intelligence in the run-up to the war in Iraq.

Prosecutors said Libby knew of Valerie Plame's CIA connection from Vice President Cheney and others in the administration. Libby's attorneys countered that he had a bad memory and had misremembered his conversations with journalists, some of whom were called to testify in the case.

A White House spokesman said President Geroge W Bush watched the news of Libby's verdict on television in the Oval Office and is saddened for Libby and his family.

UNI