Chuck Guité, the federal bureaucrat who headed the scandal-plagued sponsorship program in the 1990s, is getting parole.
Guité’s conditional release was authorized on Dec. 23, National Parole Board spokeswoman Arti Jolly confirmed Friday.
The Stetson-wearing Guité, who defended himself during his trial, will have served about one-sixth of his 42-month prison term when he is released in February.
“Whenever there’s no violent element to the crime, [offenders] are eligible to have accelerated review and have a potential release date considerably earlier,” Jolly said.
Guité is eligible for day parole on Feb. 15 and full parole on Sept. 16, according to Correctional Service Canada spokesman Jeff Campbell.
He said Guité would likely reside in a halfway house while on day parole and will be free to return to his own residence once fully paroled.
“It’s part of a graduated step towards that reintegration process in the community,” Campbell said.
“But even when somebody’s on (full) parole there are requirements to report to their parole officer and abide by whatever conditions that may apply.”
Guité will complete his sentence on Jan. 16, 2012, Campbell said.
Guité, who left the federal government in 1999, was in charge of the federal sponsorship program, where friends of the federal Liberals were paid for little or no work.
A jury convicted him in 2006 on all five charges he faced in connection with allegations he defrauded the federal government of about $2 million.
The National Parole Board said Guité will be required to follow rules “over and above the normal parole conditions.”
Upon his conditional release, the former civil servant will be asked to provide a monthly financial account of his revenues and expenses to a parole officer, Jolly said.
