25 Aug 2016

Tahiti police question minister over contract

2:16 pm on 25 August 2016

Investigators in French Polynesia have briefly detained the public works minister Albert Solia as part of a probe into suspected irregularities in a tendering process.

They also detained a senior ministry official and a ministry lawyer over the awarding of a contract as part of the Mahana Beach project on Tahiti.

The police action comes after a probe launched 18 months ago which involved the search of the premises of the company TNAD.

Media reports said the president Edouard Fritch also went to the police station, telling the local paper that he went to talk about several issues.

No charges have been laid.

The US$2 billon Mahana Beach project is the key project to try to revive Tahiti's tourism industry.

The planned construction site of the tourism complex "Mahana Beach", with the derelict Sofitel Hotel in the background.

The planned construction site of the tourism complex "Mahana Beach", with the derelict Sofitel Hotel in the background. Photo: AFP

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