The French National Assembly Photo: AFP
A French Polynesian member of the French Assembly has been given a two year suspended prison sentence and declared ineligible for office for five years.
Jean-Paul Tuaiva was found guilty of embezzling about US$200,000 in subsidies from his parliamentary attribution to an association in Tahiti, which then disbursed the money back to him.
The money was used to finance a trip to the United States, buy jewellery, and pay two men worked in restaurants owned by Tuaiva.
He has ten days to lodge an appeal for the loss of his civil rights before the judgement is forwarded to the French Constitutional Council and Assembly President who will strip Tuaiva of his mandate.
Tuaiva has already said he will quit politics at the end of his term.
There would not be a by-election in French Polynesia as general elections are scheduled for within the next year.