The bureaucrat who ran the federal sponsorship program will be released on bail of $20,000 pending the appeal of his fraud conviction.

Chuck Guité was sentenced to 3½ years in prison for defrauding the federal government of approximately $1.5 million.

Chuck Guité does not pose a threat to society, the judge ruled.

In handing down his decision Friday, Quebec Court of Appeals Justice François Doyen said Guité does not pose a threat to society.

In addition to posting the $20,000 bail, Guité will have to surrender his passport.

The judge ruled Guité must not have any contact with Jean Brault, who was also convicted of defrauding the government.

Guité was found guilty last month of five counts of fraud as a senior bureaucrat in the Public Works Department.

Lawyers for the defence needed to establish three criteria to obtain Guité's release:

• That he will adhere to the bail conditions.
• That the appeal is not futile.
• That his detention is not necessarily in the public's interest.

The Crown had argued the public would lose confidence in the public system if Guité was released.

But Justice Doyen said the public will understand his decision. Doyen said it could take months before the appeal is heard.

He said the appeal could drag on longer if Guité is not free to assist in his defence.

The sponsorship program run by Guité was created to oppose Quebec separatism by raising the federal profile in the province following the 1995 sovereignty referendum.

A public inquiry found millions of dollars, earmarked for the program and related projects, went instead to Liberal-friendly ad agencies for little or no work.