16 Jan 2015

Tuihani again questioned in Tahiti theft probe

1:07 pm on 16 January 2015

The president of French Polynesia's assembly, Marcel Tuihani, has again been questioned as part of an investigation into the alleged theft of about 70,000 US dollars worth of china from the presidential palace.

Marcel Tuihani

Marcel Tuihani Photo: AFP

This comes three weeks after Mr Tuihani was charged with receiving stolen public property as some of the china was found at the assembly in the office of the disgraced former president, Gaston Flosse.

Flosse, who was earlier charged over the same matter, was given an office at the assembly by Mr Tuihani after he had lost the presidency in September because of a corruption conviction.

Flosse says he refurbished the office using his own money and Mr Tuihani says as far as he knows the work was done by staff while they were on leave.

Last month, Flosse was banned from entering the assembly premises as part of new conditions imposed by the investigative judge dealing with the alleged theft.

The two men are also banned from being in touch with other as the probe continues.

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