The appeal court in French Polynesia has deferred the case of three men, including the pro-independence leader Oscar Temaru, until next year because his Paris-based lawyer couldn't attend.
In 2019, the criminal court had given the three suspended prison sentences and fines after finding them guilty of exercising undue influence by funding Radio Tefana to benefit Mr Temaru's political party.
Oscar Temaru, mayor of Faaa since 1983 Photo: supplied FB
Mr Temaru was implicated as the mayor of Faaa whose administration funded the community radio station, which was fined $US1 million.
The defence wanted the case to be thrown out, saying the prosecution failed to cite a single incident of propaganda on behalf of the Tavini Huiraatira party.
At the time, Mr Temaru said the real reason for his conviction was that in the eyes of France he committed treason by taking French presidents to the International Criminal Court over the nuclear weapons tests.
In court, Mr Temaru asked for the appeal case to be heard after next year's presidential election, saying he feared there could be political interference in the judicial process.
He suggested June 29 2022 which he said was the anniversary date of French Polynesia's annexation by France, but the court rejected his suggestion and set March 22 as the start date for the week-long trial.
In a related development last year, the public prosecutor Herve Leroy ordered the seizure of Temaru's savings of $US100,000 after opening a new probe into alleged misuse of public funds.
The action was taken after the council of Faaa had approved funds to defend Temaru in the 2019 trial.
Temaru then took Leroy to court in Tahiti but it found it could not deal with the case with full impartiality and ordered it to be moved to New Caledonia.
Because of the pandemic, the case has yet to be heard.