A court in Peru has handed down a 15-year prison sentence to former President Ollanta Humala and his wife, Nadine Heredia.
The court gave the sentence after finding them guilty of money laundering in connection to a major corruption case involving Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
The pair was convicted for accepting illegal campaign contributions from Odebrecht and Venezuela’s government during Humala’s 2006 and 2011 presidential bids.
Humala, aged 62, was taken into custody immediately and moved to a police facility.
Meanwhile, Heredia, who was absent from the sentencing hearing, sought refuge at the Brazilian embassy in Lima.
Following diplomatic talks, Peru’s foreign ministry announced she and her son were granted safe passage to Brazil.
Judge Nayko Coronado, who issued the ruling, also approved an arrest order for Heredia.
Prosecutors had requested even harsher sentences: 20 years for Humala and 26 years for Heredia, arguing they accepted $3 million from Odebrecht and $200,000 from late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez.
Heredia was additionally convicted for concealing property linked to the illicit funds.
Humala and Heredia have denied any wrongdoing. In court, the former president insisted the case was politically driven and pledged to continue his legal fight.
This ruling marks a milestone in the wide-ranging Odebrecht scandal, which has engulfed four Peruvian presidents. Humala, who governed from 2011 to 2016, is the first to be tried and sentenced.
The Odebrecht case, acknowledged in 2016 as one of the largest international bribery schemes, revealed the company had paid $788 million in bribes globally including $29 million in Peru to secure public works contracts.
Peru’s political landscape has been rocked by the scandal. Former President Alan Garcia died by suicide in 2019 during an arrest attempt.
Alejandro Toledo was sentenced last year to more than two decades in prison, and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski remains under investigation.
Keiko Fujimori, Humala’s opponent in the 2011 election, also faced pre-trial detention related to Odebrecht dealings.