A Seoul appellate court on Thursday commuted a former police chief's 10 month prison term imposed after he was convicted of making defamatory remarks against late President Roh Moo-hyun.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Cho Hyun-oh, who served as the commissioner of the National Police Agency from 2010 to 2012 under the former Lee Myung-bak administration, to eight months in jail.

"The defendant should be held liable for spreading false information without any evidence backing up his argument and spurring division of public opinions," Judge Jeon Joo-hae said in a ruling.

But the court decided to shorten his prison term considering his 22-year-long service for the country as a police officer, he added.

The same court earlier sentenced him to 10 months in prison for posthumously defaming Roh by claiming that police found large amounts of money in a bank account under another name the night before the former liberal president jumped to his death. The former police chief made the remarks while commenting on the motive of Roh's suicide in a meeting with police officials in March 2010.

Cho, however, was released on bail eight days after he was imprisoned.

As the court canceled his bail on Thursday, he was put to jail again.

Former President Roh jumped off a cliff to his death behind his retirement home in May 2009, a year after leaving office, amid a widening probe by prosecutors over allegations that members of his family accepted illicit funds. (Yonhap News)