A PERUVIAN court has sentenced former president Ollanta Humala and his wife Nadine Heredia to 15 years in prison for laundering funds received from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to finance his 2006 and 2011 election campaigns.

The judges of the National Superior Court found on Tuesday that Mr Humala and Ms Heredia had received almost $3 million (around £2.35m) in illegal contributions to these campaigns from Odebrecht and the government of Venezuela’s then president Hugo Chavez, who held power from 1999 to 2013.

Ms Heredia has requested asylum at the Brazilian embassy in Lima, Peru’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday afternoon.

Her brother Ilan Heredia was also sentenced to 12 years in prison for money laundering in the same case.

Mr Humala came to power in 2011 after defeating right-wing politician Keiko Fujimori in the second round of that year’s presidential election.

Nayko Coronado, one of the court’s three judges, ordered the immediate jailing of the convicted individuals, who will remain locked up until July 2039.

Most of the presidents who governed Peru since 2001 have faced legal problems due to connections with Odebrecht. 

Prominent figures such as Ms Fujimori and numerous former governors are also under investigation.