Reports from New Caledonia say a businessman, Jean-Marc Bruel, who last week was sentenced to three years in jail, is about to be freed on bail.
Telecommunications company OPT, New Caledonia Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades
Bruel was arrested in French Polynesia last week after a court in Noumea convicted him over a corrupt deal in securing a 29 million US dollar contract from the publicly owned OPT telecommunications company.
He is said to be released on a 450,000 US dollar bail while his conviction is being appealed.
A former president, Harold Martin, was also given a jail sentence but has been free pending his appeal.