Orange with 6Medias, published Wednesday 25 January 2023 at 08:45
Three people were taken into custody last week in Papeete, French Polynesia. A notary and a clergyman as well as the Catholic Church were suspected of wanting to appropriate seven atolls.
The Tuomotu Islands archipelago is the scene of a territorial dispute.
The Camica, the head of the Catholic Mission of Tahiti, actually claims seven atolls due to the Usucapion. This term defines the possibility of acquiring ownership of a property after thirty years of use. Le Parisien reveals that the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Papeete, Father Joël Aumeran, a lay volunteer from Camica, and Me Clémencet, a notary in Papeete, have been taken into custody. Two other people were heard freely and all were free to get out of the gendarmerie. In July 2022, an investigation into “serious fraud, forgery of authentic writings and use, forged documents and use” was initiated. A search was carried out in the archdiocese in March 2022. The judiciary is questioning the sincerity of the Camica’s declarations and certifications.
A will of the Camica
The conflict has its origins in the 1950s when several civilian real estate companies were formed under the leadership of Father Victor Vallon. Seven atolls were then ceded by French Polynesia to his societies. Microplots are still held. The land is then exploited by the Polynesians and persuaded into owning it. However, in 2015 a will from Father Victor Vallon resurfaced and was made available by the Camica. Hinano Murphy, whose mother owned part of one of the affected atolls, laments: “Father Victor appropriated this land when he died and gave it to Camica, but it was not legal.” It is a false will, Father Vallon was not the owner of the company premises.” After the provision of this will, a notarial deed by Maître Clémencet is also presented by the Camica in 2019, stating that “the Camica has been carrying out material acts of possession in the islands for thirty years”. Astrid Brander, a of the beneficiaries of the land, regrets: “It’s wrong, they never did anything. They didn’t live there, they had a simple monitoring mission. It was our ancestors, the Tuamotu people, who exploited, cleaned, processed and harvested copra, to produce oil.” Several other acts were provided by the Camica and authenticated by Maitre Clémencet signing a document in French, these r but doesn’t speak French.
A complaint has been filed
A complaint was lodged against Maître Clémencet by French Polynesia. The various suspects admitted the buck to one another during police custody. For his part, Maître Clémencet states that “no charges have been brought against me so far”. Father Aumerand is very shocked by the police custody.