25 Apr 2014

Wallis trial opens into massive fraud

1:39 pm on 25 April 2014

The trial has opened in Wallis and Futuna of 20 people alleged to have defrauded the French government of millions of US dollars.

They are accused of presenting inflated bills and abusing the tax benefits aimed at boosting investment in French overseas territories in 2007 and 2008.

The main accused is a former New Caledonia-based police officer, Marc Revault, who committed the alleged fraud with a French partner.

Several business leaders in Wallis and Futuna are also implicated in the scams that amounted to more than 27 million US dollars.

The trial follows a probe which was called after the number of companies involved in public works inexplicably multiplied and purported investments in hotels were found to be inexistent.