RNZ Pacific

The French judiciary has thrown out an alleged forgery and fraud case against former French Polynesian president Gaston Flosse, relating to a property transaction in Paris.

In 2018, Flosse and his son Reginald had been accused of forging management papers for a house which they had jointly owned with Gaston Flosse’s former wife.

Reginald Flosse was appointed manager of the holding company in place of his father.

• READ MORE: Legal cases against Gaston Flosse

When the property was sold in 2011 the proceeds were seized by the state.

This was done to ensure Gaston Flosse would repay US$2 million he owed to the public purse for misspending millions on phantom jobs to the benefit of his political party, Tahoera’a Huiraatira, in what was the biggest such case in French legal history.

To secure a partial lifting of the seizure, Reginald Flosse produced documents which the authorities believed were forged.

However, a magistrate has dismissed the allegation, and investigators have agreed to abandon the fraud and forgery case.

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

Deputy Police Commissioner Operations Anton Billie has given the green light for Papuan New Guinean police in the National Capital District to carry out a major eviction operation.

Settlers who have built their homes on land at the back of the University of PNG, bordering with Gerehu stage 3B and Morata stage one suburbs, will be forced to leave — if they do not comply with the court-ordered eviction notice handed out earlier.

Last week Deputy Commissioner Billie had stopped his men from carrying out the eviction because the court order was “not clear” and he feared that there could be legal repercussions for police involvement — especially with such a huge eviction operation involving many families.

• READ MORE: Lawyers threaten PNG police with contempt over settlers eviction halt

On Tuesday, Billie was served a notice to rescind his decision by the proprietor of the land, Sixth Estate Limited, and on Wednesday, after seeking advice from his legal team, he gave the okay for the eviction exercise to start.

He explained to the Post-Courier newspaper the stop notice was to ensure that the eviction exercise was legally correct and everything was in order.

Civil issues must be clarified
“We have our own legal directorate and any civil issues in nature must be clarified first,” he said.

“This is basically to safeguard the police force and state because on numerous occasions we’ve been taken to court on issues like an eviction exercise done without proper consultation,’’ said Deputy Commissioner Billie.

“My decision was not intended to stop the court order but to get legal clarification into the matter at hand, which must be clarified by the legal team. And, after receiving clarification on the matter, I will let the police execute forthwith and without delay the eviction exercise.

“The eviction will be carried out anytime next week.”

Republished with permission.

Three New Zealand journalists were detained by Fijian police in Suva last night after trying to interview a controversial Chinese resort developer.

Newsroom co-editor Mark Jennings, investigations editor Melanie Reid and cameraman Hayden Aull were held overnight at the main Suva police station after developer Freesoul Real Estate accused them of criminal trespass.

The journalists had visited Freesoul’s Suva offices seeking an interview but been told to leave.

READ MORE: Fiji government to pursue Chinese resort developer

Fiji PM apologises to released journalists

LISTEN TO MORNING REPORT

Hours later, while they interviewed a lawyer acting for villagers of the damaged Malolo Island, Fijian police located their rental car and arrived and escorted them to the police station for questioning.

Newsroom co-editor Tim Murphy told RNZ’s Morning Report the journalists were looking at the environmental damage perpetrated by Freesoul at the island of Malolo.

“They went across to Suva to get feedback – or comment at least – from the developer and were told to leave. Several hours later, police pursued them to a lawyer’s office and took them to the jail cells.”

Murphy said Freesoul is claiming there was a criminal trespass and were making a statement with the arrest, but he was not sure why.

‘Wider power’
“It’s all tied up in the wider power of Freesoul in Fiji,” he said.

“Our guys would have talked to them openly and would’ve gone back there this morning to talk to them but instead were put in the cells and made to stew overnight.”

The group have a criminal lawyer representing them in Fiji and have engaged the New Zealand High Commission to take an interest in what’s happening.

Under Fijian law, they can be held for up to 48 hours without charge.

FBC News reports from Suva that on February 8, Environment Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy confirmed that the resort under construction on Malolo Island in Fiji’s Mamanuca Group had violated the terms of its development as clearly outlined by the Department of Environment.

The ministry is pursuing prosecution of Freesoul Real Estate Development (Fiji) Ptd Ltd.

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