In this July 5, 2018 photo, Ecuador's former President Rafael Correa gives an interview at his family home near Brussels, Belgium. (MARK CARLSON / AP)

QUITO - A National Court of Justice tribunal in Ecuador on Tuesday sentenced ex-President Rafael Correa to eight years in prison for bribery.

Rafael Correa denied the accusations of bribery, claiming they were politically motivated to prevent him from running again

Another 17 people, mostly former aides, received the same sentence for accepting bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht in exchange for juicy government contracts, the national Prosecutor General's Office said on Twitter.

They include Correa's former Vice President Jorge Glas who had been in jail since 2017 for corruption related to the Odebrecht case.

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Correa and Glas were also barred from running for public office for 25 years, precluding any presidential runs in 2021.

Correa's former ministers of Tourism, Urban Development and Housing were also among those convicted and sentenced.

Correa denied the accusations, claiming they were politically motivated to prevent him from running again.

Odebrecht has admitted it ran a multinational bribery scheme to win lucrative state contracts for major public work.