Judge Sergio Moro, the federal judge overseeing criminal cases that have emerged from the Operation Car Wash corruption investigation, also sentenced money dealer Alberto Youssef to nine years and two months in prison for his role in the scandal.

However, neither will spend that much time in jail, as a result of plea bargains that have seen them become key informants in the case, which centres on alleged bribes or kickbacks called “propinas”, the Portuguese word for gratuities, to garner contracts with Petrobras.