Former leaders of the ruling Workers' Party in Brazil are to begin serving jail sentences after convictions over a congressional vote-buying scheme.
Jose Dirceu - a party founder and former chief-of-staff to ex President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva - turned himself in to federal police yesterday evening to start a prison sentence of more than 10 years.
He is one of 12 ordered to serve time over the 'Mensalao' scandal that nearly toppled the government during the first of the left-leaning party's three administrations.
Former party president Jose Genoino also turned himself in to start a nearly seven-year sentence after the Supreme Court ruled those convicted should go to jail.
Delubio Soare - an ex-party treasurer who faces an eight-year sentence - was expected to appear as well.
A spokesman for the Federal Police said the detainees would be flown to the capital Brasilia over the weekend to start serving terms that in some cases involve only night-time incarceration.
While the trial wrapped up last year, the court only now has begun imposing the first of the sentences for crimes ranging from corruption to racketeering to money laundering.
The scandal emerged after an embittered Workers Party ally who was also convicted blew the whistle on the scheme.
Despite the delays, not uncommon in a country with a notoriously slow judicial system, the jailings are being applauded by many Brazilians because they are considered a sign of at least partial progress against a culture long tolerant of corruption.
Along with bad public services and a sluggish economy, disgust with corruption was one of the many factors that led hundreds of thousands of Brazilians to take to the streets in a series of mass protests in June.
Though the protests have grown smaller, the demonstrations are still ongoing and are likely to flare back up ahead of presidential elections next October, especially when global attention turns to the country as it hosts the soccer World Cup in June and July.
President Dilma Rousseff - who is expected to seek re-election - has not been affected by the convictions because she took office five years after the scandal broke.
She was considered instrumental on succeeding Mr Dirceu as Lula's chief-of-staff in restoring order to his administration.
Former president Lula who left office with high approval ratings and remains a popular political figure is not implicated in the scandal involving his party colleagues.
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