Corruption: ICC adds one year to ex-Congolese vice president Bemba's 18-year jail term

Former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre. Photo by Michael Kooren (Pool/AFP)

Former Democratic Republic of Congo Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba has been given a one-year sentence by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for corruption to add to the 18 years that he is already serving for war crimes.

Judges at ICC on Wednesday added to his jail term following his conviction for attempting to bribe witnesses during his war crimes trial.

After a second trial on the separate charges, Bemba, who was vice president of Democratic Republic of Congo from 2003 to 2006, was ordered to pay a 300,000 euro fine to the court's fund supporting victims of atrocities, Reuters reported.

His lawyer Aime Kilolo was given a 30,000 euro fine and a two-and-a-half year suspended prison sentence.

Bemba is appealing his conviction last year on charges of having committed war crimes by allowing his forces on a murderous rampage through the neighbouring Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003.