The man that had been sacked last year as Otago District Health Board Chairman after it was found that almost $17 million had been stolen from it is astounded, since one of the fraudsters is already out of jail.

Richard Thomson, who continues to remain a board member, said that he was taken aback to learn that Kerry Harford was home.

He said that he found it really surprising that one of the imposters had been granted early bail.

Harford's corporation, Sonnford Solutions, made almost $1.8 million by invoicing the DHB for IT goods and services that were never received.

Most of the rest went to firms belonging to then-board IT Manager, Michael Swann, who was a close friend of Harford.

In the month of March last year, Swann was given a statement to serve nine years and six months in prison and Harford; a Queenstown surveyor had been sentenced to four years three months of imprisonment.

Harford was granted a bail in April after becoming entitled to parole after serving one third phase of his sentence.

The Parole Board imposed specialized restrictions on his release, which included that he cannot be self-employed or get employed, involving the managing of the finances of others.