29 Apr 2011

Flosse rejects abuse of funds allegations in trial

8:07 am on 29 April 2011

French Polynesia's former president, Gaston Flosse, has rejected all accusations levelled at him in the criminal court which is hearing a case of alleged abuse of public funds for phantom jobs.

The trial, which is in its second week, centres on the former presidency run by the Tahoeraa Huiraatira leader who is alleged to have run an illicit network from the mid 1990s to advance his party's cause.

87 people are implicated in the affair in what is the biggest such trial in French legal history.

Mr Flosse has told the court that there was nothing untoward in any of the contracts issued for his officials because they were all approved by successive French high commissioners.

He says if they failed in their duties it is not appropriate to blame anyone else.

Mr Flosse also challenged the court to examine the contracts issued by his successor at the presidency Oscar Temaru.