A former Samoa politician, Toluono Feti Toluono, has been released from prison on humanitarian grounds.
The former opposition MP had been jailed for two years and seven months after he was found guilty of fraud charges relating to the unlawful purchase of a freehold piece of land a property of a family residing in New Zealand.
The probation office says Toluono was released by Samoa's Parole Board, chaired by the Chief Justice Patu Falefatu Sapolu, on humanitarian grounds because of his health.
He was among eight other prisoners freed on parole who had served half of their jail sentence.
The next sitting of the parole board in June will for the first time be held on the island of Savaii.
