French Polynesia’s pro-independence leader and mayor of Faa’a, Oscar Temaru, says double standards are at play in probing him over the payment of his legal defence.

Temaru commented on being held for six hours last week for questioning over the Faa’a Council’s decision to pay his legal bill in a 2019 court case, which is still under appeal.

The prosecution claimed the payment amounted to an abuse of public funds and that Temaru should have paid for the expense with his own money.

• READ MORE: The judgment of Tahiti’s Oscar Temaru – a neocolonial sense of déjà-vu – Ena Manuireva
• Other Oscar Temaru reports

A lawyer acting for Temaru said the council was obliged to cover the mayor’s bill, describing last week’s brief detention of Temaru as a bid to tarnish him.

Temaru said such cover had for example been extended to the former chief-of-staff of Nicolas Sarkozy, Claude Gueant.

As part of the probe, the prosecutor in 2020 ordered the seizure of Temaru’s US$100,000 personal savings — a move being challenged by Temaru.

The probe drew criticism as his defence team risked court action for accepting funds that the prosecutor claimed were unduly allotted to Temaru’s benefit.

Prosecutor’s move challenged
One lawyer, David Koubbi, raised the prosecutor’s move with a 22-member agency which rules on professional ethics.

In the 2019 court case, Temaru and two others were given suspended prison sentences and fines in the criminal court in Pape’ete.

They were convicted for exercising undue influence over funding arrangements for a community station, Radio Tefana, which supports Temaru’s pro-independence political party Tavini Huiraatira.

In what was his first conviction, Temaru was given a six-month suspended prison sentence and a US$50,000 fine.

The current and former chairs of the board of the association which runs Radio Tefana, Heinui Le Caill and Vito Maamaatuaiahutapu, had also been given suspended jail sentences of one and three months, respectively.

Radio Tefana was fined US$1 million.

Maamaatuaiahutapu said it would have been easier to blow up the station with dynamite instead of having a trial.

US$1m fine five times radio’s budget
Le Caill said the station’s US$1 million fine was five times its budget, meaning the station was unable to pay and would have to close.

At the time of the trial, Temaru said if he had to be convicted, he should be jailed for life.

After sentencing, Temaru said he was being punished because in the eyes of France he “committed treason” by taking French presidents to the International Criminal Court over nuclear weapons tests.

The case was appealed two years ago but has been deferred four times and is now due to be heard on August 29.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

French Polynesia’s pro-independence leader and mayor of Faa’a, Oscar Temaru, has been held for questioning over the funding of his defence in a 2019 trial.

Tahiti-infos reports that he and deputy mayor Robert Maker were questioned for six hours.

This comes amid an investigation into alleged abuse of public funds because the Faa’a Council had paid for Temaru’s defence.

• READ MORE: The judgment of Tahiti’s Oscar Temaru – a neocolonial sense of déjà-vu — Ena Manuireva
• Other Oscar Temaru reports

He had been convicted of exerting undue influence and was given a suspended prison sentence as well as a US$50,000 fine.

The conviction will be appealed and is due to be heard in court in August.

As part of the probe into the defence spending in 2020, the prosecution ordered the seizure of Temaru’s personal savings of US$100,000.

The investigation is now under the control of a special trans-regional jurisdiction in Paris specialising in financial fraud, since the start of 2022, due to the complexity of the case.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

A separate independent investigation will be conducted into allegations of abuse of office at the University of the South Pacific after the controversy was discussed by the institution’s highest decision-making body at its 88th meeting in Port Vila, Vanuatu, yesterday.

In a statement, the USP Council said the recent allegations levelled against some senior management and former vice-chancellor Professor Rajesh Chandra had been the subject of media and public speculation.

“The council expressed support for the investigation currently being undertaken by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC),” the council said.

READ MORE: Staff, students demand transparency over ‘whistleblower’ allegations

“Reflecting the regional nature of the university, the council unanimously resolved that a separate independent investigation will also be conducted on its behalf.”

It is understood further updates will be provided by the council to the university community in due course.

“The university remains committed to its vision of achieving excellence and innovation for the sustainable development of Pacific Island countries and its people,” the council said, indicating in the statement that the contact person on the issue would be USP’s deputy pro-chancellor and deputy chair of council, Aloma Johansson.

USP academic Professor Vijay Naidu said the 88th Council meeting’s decisions reflected the collective wisdom of the representatives of the 12-member states, professorial and staff representatives, and representatives of Australia and New Zealand.

Meeting expectations
“These decisions in a large part meet the expectations of staff gathered on the rara in front of the Laucala Campus Library,” he told Wansolwara.

“Their call for an independent commission of inquiry regarding the issues raised in the leaked executive committee report has been answered.

“The other resolutions can be considered by the commission and/or taken up by vice-chancellor and president. This, for instance, applies to the reinstatement and filling of the registrar’s position as a matter of urgency.”

Professor Naidu said staff were looking forward to the appointment of the commission, its terms of reference, its investigations and findings as well as very importantly embedding good governance procedures and processes.

During the staff rally and talanoa on good governance at Laucala campus on Thursday, senior staff members – including Professor Naidu, Elizabeth Reade-Fong, Dr Morgan Tuimaleali’ifano and Dr Eberhard Weber – voiced strong concerns about the allegations of mismanagement and questionable decisions made by the former vice-chancellor and some of the senior management team that appeared to breach university policy, rules and procedures.

“According to the allegations, contracts had been speedily extended, emoluments significantly increased, additional allowances allocated, back dated back pay fast tracked, and staff development leave approval contrary to the university’s processes and procedures,” they said on behalf of members of the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff and the USP Staff Union.

“In total large sums of money were paid out.”

Strong statement
Early this week, USP’s pro-chancellor and chairman of the council, Winston Thompson, issued a strong statement condemning the publication of the “unsubstantiated allegations” against many individuals, including himself.

“Quite clearly, a gross injustice has been done to the named individuals who have worked assiduously and who do not deserve to be treated in this way,” he had said.

More than 140 staff from all sections of the university, including the three USP unions representing hourly paid staff, support staff, professional and academic staff gathered at the rally on Thursday.

Students also attended and a representative of the student body also spoke on their behalf about the serious allegations.

• More USP stories

A senior French Polynesian politician has been fined for defaming the president Edouard Fritch during the election campaign in April.

The criminal court in Tahiti found the Territorial Assembly leader of the opposition Tahoeraa Huiraatira party, Geffry Salmon, guilty and fined him US$5,000.

He has also been ordered to pay US$2,000 to Fritch who wanted to be paid US$20,000 in compensation.

Fritch took legal action in June, saying Salmon defamed him at a news conference with claims that his party had been giving out subsidies to buy votes.

Fritch’s lawyer said Tahoeraa never lodged any complaint about any alleged abuse of funds but instead Salmon tried to damage his rivals.

Next month, Fritch is due in court with his predecessor as president, Gaston Flosse, with both accused of abusing public funds.

In the last term, Fritch was twice convicted for corruption.

This article is republished under the Pacific Media Centre’s content partnership with Radio New Zealand.