Fiji's long-serving former prime minister Frank Bainimarama has been sentenced to a year in prison for obstructing a police investigation into corruption.

Bainimarama, 70, is one of the most high-profile politicians in the Pacific Islands, having led Fiji for more than15 years until he was voted out in 2022.

On the international stage he was also a leading representative lobbying for climate change action for vulnerable Pacific countries.

He was taken away in handcuffs after the High Court's ruling on Thursday.

Prosecutors alleged he had told his friend, the former Fijian Police Commissioner, to drop a 2020 investigation into abuses of finances at the University of South Pacific which included alleged bonuses, promotions and pay rises to staff.

Last month he was convicted of perverting the course of justice during a police investigation into university fraud.