22 Apr 2011

French Polynesia politician Yip sentenced for abuse of public funds

2:54 pm on 22 April 2011

The appeal court in French Polynesia has given a former assembly member and former minister, Michel Yip, a suspended six-month jail sentence for abuse of public funds.

Yip, who is the mayor of Makemo, was found to have used his assembly commission's role to divert funds to his wife, Melanie Mairau.

According to the charges, she was employed as his chief of staff, earning 9,000 US dollars a month while failing to carry out her tasks as expected.

They have also been fined 70,000 US dollars.

It's not known if tehre will be an appeal to the highest French court.

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