Tahiti News Provider Reports: Landmark Court Ruling Brings Hope to Families in Actéon Islands Dispute
A recent court ruling in the French Polynesian courts has brought hope to families who have been disputing the ownership of the Actéon islands. The tribunal foncier has rejected a request by the Camica company to be recognised as the owner of the islands through a process known as usucapion, or adverse possession.
According to Astrid Brander-Hoffmann, a descendant of Michel Brander, one of the partners in the SCI Tematangi, a civil property company that was ceded the islands by the French Polynesian government in the past, the decision is a major breakthrough. "I am grateful to all those who have had the courage to defend us," she said. "But it doesn’t mean we have won. The door is just ajar. The light is still there, half-shadow, half-light. But it’s already a big step… What worries me is what will become of these islands? It’s a shame, because Camica could have continued its action, that is to say, continued to accompany the Paumotu, pending a fair indemnity. But now, they may have pushed the boat too far."
The ruling has been welcomed by the families, but they still face a long road ahead. To claim their inheritance, they will need to prove their filiation and recover the social shares of their ancestors. They will also have to wait and see if the Camica company will appeal the decision.
The TNTV News reports that one of the key actors in the case, Father Joël Aumeran, a former vicar general of Papeete, has spoken out. He was cited in the proceedings as Monseigneur Hubert Coppenrath, who has since passed away. According to his lawyer, Me Arcus Usang, Father Aumeran intervened in the case because he was the manager of the Camica company’s interests in the Actéon islands. "The father Joël Aumeran is intervened, why? Because he was the manager for the account of the Camica in the Actéon islands to valorise the Actéon islands," he said. "In the land tribunal, they are not accused at all, they have not claimed anything. Father Joël Aumeran and Monseigneur Coppenrath, who are now deceased, do not claim anything. All they want is for the truth to be established. What is needed is to return the lands to the persons that justice will have designated."
The TNTV News understands that the case is not yet closed. A separate judicial investigation is ongoing into another aspect of the case.
In related news, the court has also declared that the title of property held by the Camica company on the Actéon islands is "of no effect". This decision has been hailed as a victory by the families who have been disputing the company’s ownership.
The dispute over the Actéon islands has been ongoing for many years. The islands were originally ceded to the SCI Tematangi and another civil property company by the French Polynesian government. However, the companies were dissolved but never liquidated, leaving the ownership of the islands in limbo.
The TNTV News will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
The ruling has given hope to the families who have been fighting for their rights to the islands. As Astrid Brander-Hoffmann said, "It’s already a big step… We are grateful for this decision, but we know that the road ahead will be long and difficult."
For further information on this case, please see: TNTV News.
