LIMA: A Peruvian court on Tuesday sentenced expresident Ollanta Humala to 15 years in prison in a vast corruption case involving Brazilian construction group Odebrecht and bribes paid to politicians.

The court found the 62-year-old guilty of money laundering for receiving illegal contributions from Odebrecht and the Venezuelan government for two presidential campaigns.

Humala, a former army officer who led the country from 2011 to 2016, in 2022 became the first ex-president of Peru to go on trial in the Odebrecht corruption scandal that has also seen three other former presidents charged.

Two-term leader Alan Garcia committed suicide in 2019 when police came to his house to arrest him, while Alejandro Toledo (2001-06) was sentenced last year to more than 20 years in prison for accepting multi-million-dollar bribes in exchange for government contracts.

Investigations continue into the fourth ex-president implicated, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018).

Prosecutors had sought a 20-year prison term for Humala and 26 years for his wife and co-accused Nadine Heredia, for allegedly accepting $3 million in illegal contributions.

Both were also accused of `concealment of real estate purchases` made with some of the money.

Humala`s legal team said he would appeal the sentence.

Odebrecht admitted in 2016 having paid at least $29 million in bribes to Peruvian officials between 2005 and 2014.

Leftist Humala came to the presidency in 2011afterbeatingrightwingcandidateKeikoFujimori in a runoff election. Fujimori herself spent 13 months of detention in a case linked to Odebrecht.-AFP