User:SamuraiArmada/Boris Léontieff

Boris Léontieff-Teahu, born 19/9/1955 and assumed dead on May 23, 2002, was a politician, and resident of French Polynesia. He was the mayor of Arue, a small commune on the Winward Islands, and founder and President of the Fetia Api party until his disappearance in 2002.

He was also the brother of the former President of French Polynesia, Alexandre Léontieff-Teahu.

Biography
Boris Léontieff-Teahu was born in Papeete, French Polynesia on September 9th, 1955. He began his political career in 1989 as the Mayor of Arue, a small town on the outskirts of Papeete.

His brother, Alexandre Léontieff-Teahu, became the third President of French Polynesia shortly before Boris became Mayor. Alexandre forced the previous President to resign, causing Gaston Flosse, the first President of French Polynesia, to return as the opposition leader. In 1991, Gaston Flosse regained the presidency and replaced Boris's brother.

In 1996, Boris founded the Fetia Api party, which advocated for French Polynesian independence and opposed Gaston Flosse. Journalist Jean-Pascal Couraud, who blamed Gaston Flosse for the closure of his newspaper, also helped establish the party.

During the elections of 1996, Mr Léontieff-Teahu ran for the Windward Islands seats in the French Polynesian Assembly. He is successfully won 1 seat, and his party was elected to the Assembly. At the same election, his brother returned to politics and successfully represented a pro-independence party, sharing the beliefs of his brother Boris. Shortly after this, Jean-Pascal Couraud went missing on December 15th 1997, and Mr Léontieff temporarily left his position.

In 2001, Boris Léontieff-Teahu is again elected to the Winward Islands, and his party reaches their highest result, getting 7 members elected to the Assembly. On the Winward Islands he is joined by fellow Fetia Api elects Thilda Fuller, Antonio Perez, Arsen Tuairau and Marie-Laure Vanizette. Pierre Amiot is elected to the Leeward Islands and Lucien Kimitete to the Marquesas Islands, all representing the Fetia Api party.

On the 23 of May 2002, a light plane travelling from Kaukura to Makemo in the Tuamotus, sets off on a short 2 hour flight. The plane was carrying Boris Léontieff, and Fetia Api officials of Lucien Kimitete and Arsen Tuairau, and substitute candidate Ferfine Besseyre. However, the plane is diverted due to bad weather to Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands, and disappears shortly after.7:57 a.m. The French colonial government refused to delay the elections.

After his death, Boris Léontieff was succeeded by the Philip Schyle. Shortly after, in 2004, the death of Jean-Pascal Couraud is alleged to have been carried out by members of the President Flosse's private police force, the GIP. Philip Schyle is part of a number of politicians who demand an investigation into the disappearance.

Due to these events, there are many accusations that the deaths of Boris Léontieff and Jean-Pascal Couraud are linked, with their beliefs of an Independent French Polynesia and their power with the Fetia Api party pointed at by some for being too dangerous. However, this is mainly speculation, as there has been no hard evidence uncovered in the two decades since their deaths. Their cases were elevated when the Worldwide Press Freedom Organisation and Reporters Without Borders today urged the judiciary in French Polynesia to investigate.

Investigations into Jean-Pascal Couraud's disappearance are still ongoing, and his body was found in 2004. In 2009, a letter was found admitting guilt to Jean-Pascal Couraud's kidnapping. Francis Stein and Miri Tatarata, both members of the GIP militia were put under investigation. A judge also ordered the reopening of Boris Leontieff's plane crash probe in light of this evidence.

In 2022, Francis Stein arrested again on murder charges after the 2009 investigation was paused. However, Boris Léontieff's case was closed in 2011 after "investigations failed to conclude why and how the small plane disappeared", with theories suggesting the pilot lacked experience and might have encountered fuel problems. There had been speculation there may have been foul play or that the aircraft may have been diverted. Boris Léontieff-Teahu's widow hired a lawyer, James Lau, who told a local newspaper in 2020 that it was "established that Mr Leontieff was under surveillance by the secret service of then president, Gaston Flosse". Mr Lau said the same spying effort was directed at Mr Leontieff's advisor and journalist, Jean-Pascal Couraud.

In 2022, Gaston Flosse was banned from politics and sentenced to 6 months in prison due to corruption charges from when he was President. He was alleged to have stolen 1.45 million euros