12 Jun 2010

Flosse's case heads to highest French court for ruling on Tahiti decision

9:07 am on 12 June 2010

France's constitutional court has declared a provision as unconstitutional after it was used to seek to punish French Polynesia's veteran politician, Gaston Flosse, in a corruption case.

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 case was to go to the highest court in France for an appeal but Mr Flosse's lawyer challenged the clause of the electoral law used to declare him ineligible for office.

This means the case will now proceed in the highest French court which could overturn the Tahiti ruling for possible procedural flaws.

A decision on his eligibility is expected within weeks.