Former Austrian minister jailed for corruption

VIENNA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Former Austrian Interior Minister Ernst Strasser on Monday was convicted by a court here on charges of corruption and was sentenced to four years in jail.

Strasser, a 56-year-old politician, served as interior minister from 2000 to 2004. He was also a member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2011.

The ex-minister faced legal proceedings last year after undercover journalists disguised as "lobbyists" exposed a bribery scandal involving him.

During the trial, Strasser argued that he had played along with the "lobbyists" whom he believed to be U.S. Secret Service agents and wanted to find out what they were after. His argument was rejected by the judge.

Austrian media reported that Monday's verdict was not final and could be appealed.

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