Brazil Mensalao trial: former Lula aide Dirceu jailed
13 November 2012 Last updated at 04:54 GMT
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, 66, 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.
Julia Carneiro reports from Sao Paulo.