Pacific

French investigators detain French Polynesian officials in cable probe

11:15 am on 16 March 2011

French investigators have detained for questioning three former French Polynesian top officials over the awarding of a contract to lay the Honotua communications cable.

The newspaper, La Depeche, reports that they include the former chairman of the OPT board, Emile Vernaudon, who was brought in from Tahiti's jail where he is serving a five-year sentence for having overseen the misspending of 1.4 million US dollars between 2004 and 2006.

Another former top OPT official, Alphonse Teriierooiterai, has also been detained along with an advisor to the project, Georges Puchon.