French Polynesian mayor sentenced to jail for corruption

9:48 am on 20 October 2017

The appeal court in French Polynesia has given a one-year prison sentence to a local mayor for corruption.

The court has also declared the mayor for Tumara'a Cyril Tetuanui ineligible to hold public office for two years after finding him guilty of the inappropriate use of his office for business dealings.

In a second case judged at the same time, he was given a suspended eight month prison sentence for favouritism.

Cyril Tetuanui, mayor of Tumaraa in French Polynesia

Cyril Tetuanui Photo: AFP

The mayor is free because he has still the option of appealing to France's highest court.

Five years ago, Tetuanui was given a suspended sentence and declared ineligible for public office for a year by France's highest court.

However, he didn't quit the office because the court document was never sent through to the French High Commission, which meant that the sentence lapsed.

He and his wife Lana Tetuanui had been found guilty of using municipal employees in 2002 to work on their private residence.

She is now a member of the French Senate for French Polynesia.