Lula convicted again, jailed for 12 years

Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was convicted yesterday for a second time on charges of corruption and money laundering and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Judge Gabriela Hardt said she agreed with prosecutors that a country house was renovated for da Silva by construction companies involved in a corruption scandal centred on Brazil’s state-run oil company. Last April, da Silva began serving a sentence of 12 years and 11 months after being convicted on the same charges involving renovations at a beach-front apartment.