Rafael Blasco, a former member of the Valencian government, has been sentenced to eight years in prison and barred from public office for twenty years for siphoning money from a fund meant for development aid to poor countries in Central America and the Caribbean.
Eight other members of a ring that appropriated around €8 million of aid were also given jail terms totalling 43 years.
Much of the money, which was supposed to be for development projects in Central America and the Caribbean, was instead used to buy real estate in Valencia.
The crimes were committed under the premiership of Francisco Camps (PP) who stood trial for corruption but was acquitted in January 2012.
Blasco, who is still a regional deputy, is a veteran figure in Valencian politics who, 25 years ago, was expelled from the Socialist party under suspicion of accepting bribes in exchange for favours to real estate developers.
He was then recruited by the PP and and returned to the regional government under regional premier Eduardo Zaplana. However, he was removed from his position as PP spokesman in the assembly in 2012, when the development aid scandal broke, and was ejected from the party a year ago when a judge put him in the dock.
It is widely thought that Blasco will appeal the conviction to the Supreme Court. In the meantime he remains an independent regional deputy.