Self-styled 'king' sentenced to a year in Tahiti prison

11:05 am on 5 May 2018

The court of appeal in French Polynesia has sentenced the self-styled king of the Pakumotu republic to one year in prison.

The Pakamotu group had been defying the French state for years by purporting to have its own government.

Last year, Athanase Teiri was convicted in the criminal court and given a nine-month jail term for circulating a fake currency and for intimidation.

French Polynesia's court building

French Polynesia's court building Photo: RNZI

On appeal, the sentence was increased by three months to a year.

He and his backers distributed the so-called patu as part of his claim that it would be replacing the French Pacific franc.

Radio 1 reports that two of his associates who had working as his guards have had their sentences extended to three years in prison.

They were convicted of threatening police with firearms when they tried to prevent the arrest of Athanase Teiri four years ago.

In 2014, a woman belonging to his group was given a two-month jail sentence for trying to pay for petrol with a 100 patu note.

In 2012, Teiri was given a suspended prison sentence for producing illegal identity cards.

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