Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

French Polynesia’s Tahoeraa stunned over Flosse court ruling

Posted at 05:53 on 25 September, 2009 UTC

French Polynesia’s Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party says it is stunned that the court of appeal has in French Polynesia has declared its leader, Gaston Flosse, ineligible for public office.

This comes after the court gave him a suspended one-year jail sentence for misusing public funds following the 2004 general election night.

The party has expressed shock that Flosse is set to lose office without there being a possibility to appeal the sentence to France’s highest court.

It says the court has made an exception to the principles that apply to everybody.

The party says it is being told that the detention and arrests of his associates is for them not be able to communicate with each other.

But it says at the same time the media is given information every day with the prosecutor stating his case against Flosse.