Associate Justice Kathleen Salii announced her ruling on Monday morning and said Remengesau was guilty of counts four, five, seven, eight, nine, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18.
However, she added, Remengesau was not guilty of the charges in counts six and 19.
Counts one, two, three, 10 and 16 were dismissed by the court upon the request of the prosecution for failing to prove that the properties involved were worth over $1,000.
Salii set the sentencing for Dec. 12.
Special Prosecutor Michael Copeland said Remengesau may pay a fine of up to $1.2 million.
Copeland said he was satisfied with the verdict.
Remengesau, who was vice president from 1993 to 2001, and president from 2001 to 2009, said he believed he filed the financial disclosure documents as best as they could.
“It was incomplete but it’s not like that we did not file anything. When we filed in years 2000-2002, we believed that what we were filing was in compliance with the law,” Remengesau said.
When asked about the verdict, he replied: “It is interesting because in our inquiries, roughly 90 percent filed the same way I did. And it is also an eye opener. I learned a lot from this trial and I hope other officials will also learn something from this because they will now change the way they disclose their assets.”
He added, “From now on, everyone who acquired land through tradition will also disclose it in their financial disclosure.”
He said he may introduce legislation that will make the disclosure requirements clearer.
“I would like to make the filing of financial disclosures very simple and clear so that the filers will not be prosecuted,” he said.
“It’s only a misdemeanor, and it’s a criminal act only in the sense that we filed it in the wrong way.”
Remengesau was charged with violating the Code of Ethics for failing to disclose some of his assets during his term as president.
His trial was held from Nov. 2 to 5.
