18 Nov 2015

Bail for New Caledonia OPT case convict

2:56 pm on 18 November 2015

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

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.