Wikileaks man still a molestation suspect

Swedish police are to question WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over an alleged molestation, Sweden's chief prosecutor said yesterday, adding that a further case against him had been dropped.

"The investigation is still going on. I find there is a suspicion of molestation," Eva Finne said.

"I'm going to tell the investigator to contact the suspect's lawyer and they decide when it's possible to hold an interrogation," she said.

Mr Assange, an Australian behind the whistle-blowing website, had been accused by two women of sexual molestation in Sweden, where he has spent the past couple of weeks.

Ms Finne said there were no grounds to continue an investigation into a case which initially led a duty prosecutor to issue an arrest warrant for Mr Assange for suspected rape.

That warrant was dropped on Saturday.

Mr Assange has said through Twitter that he is innocent of the accusations.

Claes Borgstrom, a lawyer representing the two women, was critical of the chief prosecutor's decision.

"I'm a little bit disappointed," he said.

WikiLeaks, which published secret American military files on the war in Afghanistan last month, said it planned to release a document from the Central Intelligence Agency soon.

Mr Assange told al-Jazeera television on Sunday that he was warned by Australian intelligence of plans to discredit Wikileaks as it prepares to release more secret documents.

Ms Finne dismissed any suggestion of a smear campaign. "There is no indication whatsoever that supports a conspiracy theory," she said.

The punishment in Sweden for molestation - a wide-ranging offence including sexual and non-sexual harassment - was usually a fine, but could also be up to a year in prison, she said.