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Brazil Mensalao trial: former Lula aide Dirceu jailed | Brazil Mensalao trial: former Lula aide Dirceu jailed |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The Supreme Court in Brazil has sentenced a former top aide of ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to 10 years and 10 months in jail. | |
Jose Dirceu was found guilty of setting up an illegal scheme that used public funds to pay coalition parties for political support. | Jose Dirceu was found guilty of setting up an illegal scheme that used public funds to pay coalition parties for political support. |
Dirceu had acted as Lula's chief of staff from 2003 to 2005. | |
The former president is not implicated in the scandal, which became known as "Mensalao", or Big Monthly Allowance. | The former president is not implicated in the scandal, which became known as "Mensalao", or Big Monthly Allowance. |
The Supreme Court also ordered Dirceu to pay a fine of 676,000 reals ($330,000: £210,000). | |
The former aide maintained that the scheme never existed, and accused Brazil's conservative media of bias against the left-wing government. | |
'Criminal enterprise' | |
The presiding judge, Justice Joaquim Barbosa, ruled that Mr Dirceu had played a crucial role in the scheme. | |
"He held one of the highest posts in the Brazilian government. He dishonoured his position and made key decisions for the success of this criminal enterprise," he said. | |
Correspondents say the lengthy sentence handed down by the court means that Mr Dirceu may have to spend some years in prison, rather than serving his sentence under house arrest. | Correspondents say the lengthy sentence handed down by the court means that Mr Dirceu may have to spend some years in prison, rather than serving his sentence under house arrest. |
Mr Dirceu was among several senior members of the governing Workers Party convicted last month of involvement in the scheme. | |
Workers Party president Jose Genoino was sentenced to six years and 11 months imprisonment for the same crimes and will also to pay a heavy fine. | |
The high-profile convictions have been seen by many in Brazil as evidence that politics is no longer immune from punishment. | |
Twenty-five of the 37 people charged were found guilty by the court. |