The Court of Cassation on Wednesday rejected the appeal of the former president of French Polynesia, Gaston Flosse, making his conviction final for breach of trust and misappropriation of public property. Gaston Flosse was sentenced on December 10, 2020, by the Papeete Court of Appeal, to two years in prison, a fine of around 83,000 euros, as well as 5 years of ineligibility. In a reaction to AFP, he denounced Wednesday “schemes, shenanigans for [l’] eliminate from politics ”.
Former mayor of Pirae, Gaston Flosse was accused of having made the citizens of his municipality bear the cost of supplying water to his home for nearly 20 years, located in Arue, a neighboring municipality. “It is always the policy of the State to eliminate politicians who can hinder it in the accomplishment of their policy in Polynesia, and to keep only those who submit to its law”, declared Gaston Flosse to AFP.
The appeal in cassation of the current president of this French community of the Pacific, Edouard Fritch, warned in the same file for misappropriation of public good, was also rejected. Edouard Fritch, former son-in-law of Gaston Flosse with whom he is now quarreled, was also on the bench for not having intervened when he had taken the reins of the town. He was sentenced by the Court of Appeal to a fine of around 8,300 euros.
Gaston Flosse, who was also deputy and senator, underlined the difference of condemnation between this former ally and himself in this file. “Edouard Fritch is recognized as being an accomplice in this affair. For six years, he left the distribution of water in Erima, to a whole population. He has a simple fine, without ineligibility. From the start, I paid my water bill to the municipality of Pirae. Unfortunately, the Pirae archives room caught fire and the invoices have not been found ”, declared Gaston Flosse.
A replacement for the legislative
Friend of Jacques Chirac, co-founder of the RPR, Gaston Flosse was the champion of autonomy for 40 years, that is to say the maintenance of Polynesia within the French Republic. In recent years, he wanted this overseas collectivity to gain sovereignty. According to him, it is for this reason that France seeks to remove him from the political landscape.
“It gives me the strength to fight even harder for sovereignty: this relentlessness of the State proves on the contrary that this sovereignty has chances of succeeding. I am the opponent of the State to be eliminated, it is no longer Oscar Temaru, with his independence that he has not been able to pass for 40 years, ”he also argued.
At 90 years old, Gaston Flosse wants to remain president of his party, Tahoera’a huira’atira, and find his replacement for the legislative elections, in which he intended to stand. “I have very busy neighborhood meetings every night; Edouard Fritch, it’s over! “, He assured. The congress of his party, of Gaullist inspiration, will take place on January 29, in particular to determine the candidates for the legislative elections and to choose the candidate he will support in the presidential election. In 2017, Gaston Flosse supported Marine Le Pen.