Prijatelj already served out his 4-year sentence for extortion, but was later also sentenced to two more years after he was found guilty in a corruption case related to the purchase of land.

Prijatelj's request to be released on parole has been was granted after another case against him was dropped.

This comes at a time when the former Merkur boss Bine Kordež was also released from prison, where he had been serving a six year and five month prison sentence for abuse of office and forgery.