Geffry Salmon
French Polynesian politician
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Geffry Salmon (born 1952) is a French Polynesian politician and former Cabinet Minister. He is a member of Tahoera'a Huiraatira.
Geffry Salmon | |
|---|---|
| Member of the French Polynesian Assembly for Windward Isles | |
| Assumed office 17 May 2018 | |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Tahoera'a Huiraatira |
Salmon is a former chair of the board of telecommunications company OPT and chief executive of Air Tahiti Nui.[1][2]
In early 2009 he was arrested as part of a corruption investigation into state-owned telecommunications company OPT.[3] He was released in November 2009 after being detained for six months.[1] The case was eventually dismissed in 2019.[4]
He served as Environment Minister [5] and Tourism Minister in 2014.[6]
He headed Tahoera'a Huiraatira's list for the 2018 French Polynesian legislative elections after party leader Gaston Flosse was barred from public office after being convicted of corruption.[7][8] Despite heading the list, Tahoera'a refused to allow him to participate in election debates.[9] After being elected to the Assembly of French Polynesia, he was the party's candidate for president, but lost to Édouard Fritch, receiving only ten votes of 57.[10]
During the election campaign Salmon accused Fritch of vote-buying, and as a result was sued for defamation.[11] An initial conviction and fine of US$5,000[12][13] was subsequently overturned on appeal.[14][15]
