Brazil Court Raises Lula’s Sentence to 17 Years

A Brazilian court on Wednesday upheld a corruption conviction against former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was released from prison earlier this month, reportó dpa news.The regional federal court in Porto Alegre also raised Lula’s June sentence for graft and money laundering in relation to a house he was using in Atibaia near Sao Paulo from 12 and 11 months to 17 years.Prosecutors had argued that the house was renovated by the corruption-tarnished construction giant Odebrecht and two other companies in exchange for contracts with the state oil giant Petrobras.