The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given a written warning to Jari Vilén, who was until recently the ambassador to Canada.
A press release published on Wednesday says that Vilén has not "conducted himself in a manner befitting his status and duties as a public official", and that his behaviour had met the definitions of inappropriate conduct, harassment and sexual harassment.
His position as an official at the ministry remains, however, as the threshold for sacking him has not yet been reached.
Vilén said in early May that he had requested a transfer from the embassy in Ottawa to the ministry in Helsinki. He will officially remain in his post in Canada until the end of June.
The ministry has not yet named his successor.
Meanwhile the ministry has filed a criminal complaint regarding the information leak that led to Vilén's warning. Vilén's improprieties came to light at the beginning of May.
Some ministry employees have expressed dismay over the decisions to allow Vilén to remain in his post until the end of June, and to launch a criminal probe into the leak.
Ex-minister issues apology
On Thursday, Vilén said in a Facebook post that he "humbly accepts" the Foreign Ministry's decision to issue him a written warning. Vilén wrote that he was "sincerely sorry for the upset his actions have caused to some of the staff".
He promised to " learn from what happened," adding that he "did not intentionally do the things" for which he has reprimanded.
Vilén began his post as ambassador to Canada last September after serving as ambassador to Hungary and Poland.
Before that, he was minister of foreign trade and European affairs and chair of the Finnish Parliament's Grand Committee, representing current Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen's National Coalition Party.
16.09: Added continuation in post, employee reactions.
