20 Aug 2009

New bank search in French Polynesia's OPT probe

7:08 pm on 20 August 2009

Investigators in French Polynesia have again searched the premises of the Socredo Bank in Papeete as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and abuse of public funds in the running of the state-owned OPT telecommunications company.

RFO television reports say this is the second time this week that the investigators have searched the bank.

Earlier this week, the search was carried out in the presence of the former OPT head, Geffry Salmon, who was taken to the bank from the Tahiti jail where he has been held for several months as part of the probe.

A month ago, the territory's veteran politician, Gaston Flosse, was questioned by police in France over the OPT affair.

Mr Flosse is alleged to have received kickbacks of about two million US dollars from a French advertising executive for granting public sector contracts during his time as President of French Polynesia.