The appeal court in French Polynesia has in part upheld a sentence given to the mayor of Papara, Putai Taae, in the criminal court in May for abuse of office.
Photo: 123RF
It has upheld his suspended 18-month jail sentence as well as a ban on him holding public office for two years.
As a result of the conviction in May, Taae also lost his territorial assembly seat for the ruling Tapura Huiraatira party.
He was one of four people convicted, including the mayor's wife, for having spent public funds to travel to the US purportedly to set up a sister city relationship with San Diego.
They failed to produce any records of their endeavours.
However, the appeal court exonerated the former mayor from the conviction of having unduly profited and halved his fine to $US10,000.
One of his advisers, Charles Villierme, had also part of his sentence quashed and is again allowed to continue as vice-president of French Polynesia's Olympic Committee.
