It is being reported in Tahiti that fresh complaints have been laid against a former president, Gaston Flosse, in connection with his now defunct intelligence unit.
The Nouvelles de Tahiti says last month, a lawyer, Annie Rousseau, and a magazine publisher, Alex du Prel, lodged a complaint for abuse of public funds for running the unit.
This comes as the judicial authorities in Tahiti again deferred a reply to the lawyer acting for Mr Flosse, who had asked for his client to be no longer investigated over the espionage claims.
A decision is now to be made on February 1st on whether to sustain the charges that Mr Flosse was complicit in violating the privacy of several individuals by running an intelligence service.
The latest delay is reportedly due to a procedural error.
If found guilty Mr Flosse could be jailed for up to a year.
Mr Flosse has reportedly said that the French security service and the French high commission were fully informed about his unit's activities.
