France's highest court says it will decide on June the 16th if French Polynesia's veteran politician, Gaston Flosse, is still eligible for office.
A ruling was due in early April but was delayed while his lawyers sought to establish whether the court had the constitutional powers to rule on the matter.
Last September, the appeal court in Tahiti upheld a one-year suspended jail sentence given to him by a lower court for misusing public funds following the 2004 general election night.
The verdict also declared him ineligible for public office for a year with immediate effect.
While the appeal is pending in France, Mr Flosse remains a French senator and a member of the French Polynesian assembly
The French media have described his latest challenge as an attempt to win time and delay any possibly unfavourable decision.
