Police in French Polynesia have detained an assembly member and former minister, Michel Yip, and his wife on suspicion that they abused public funds.
According to Tahitipresse, investigators want to establish whether Mr Yip abused his position as head of an assembly commission to pay his wife a senior administrator's pay although she may have failed to carry out the tasks linked to that position.
The prosecutor says the two were detained as part of a preliminary inquiry.
The salary paid to her was 10,000 US dollars a month.
Mr Yip belongs to the ruling coalition of Gaston Tong Sang which struggles to hold a majority.
Another senior coalition member, Gaston Flosse, is in jail as part of a corruption probe.
