Former French Polynesian President corruption charges

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Updated September 25, 2009 17:25:27

The veteran French Polynesian politician, Gaston Flosse, is no stranger to controversy. In recent weeks members of his entourage - including his treasurer, secretary and housekeeper - have been questioned at length by police over the embezzlement of over 2 million U-S dollars from the territory's Office of Post and Telecommunications. The former president is due to be questioned - and possibly indicted - by investigating judges next week, and today its been confirmed that police in France have detained his partner. But he now has a more pressing concern - a court of appeal in French Polynesia has upheld a one year jail sentence and declared him ineligible for public office for one year for misusing public funds to pay for a post election party in 2004. The latest incident relates to a case known as "the Sushi Affair" - and I asked Thibault Marais from Tahiti Presse online in Papeete to tell us what this was about.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Thibault Marais from Tahiti Presse online in French Polynesia

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