Washington, D.C. ? The only military officer to be court-martialed in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was acquitted Tuesday of any criminal responsibility for the widespread abuse of Iraqi prisoners, but he was found guilty of disobeying an order not to talk about the investigation.

Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan, a 51-year-old career Army soldier, was in charge of gathering military intelligence at the prison. But according to testimony at the weeklong court-martial at Fort Meade, Md., he was not directly involved in the handling of captives at the over-crowded detention camp near Baghdad once used by Saddam Hussein to hold political prisoners.

The maximum penalty for Jordan on the sole conviction is five years in a military brig and dismissal from the Army after 23 years in the service.