GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A Guatemalan court on Monday sentenced the former president of the country's congress to more than 30 years in prison for acts of corruption.

Pedro Muadi was sentenced for money laundering, illegal association and embezzlement. Prosecutors said he hired people who didn't work and whose salaries were instead funneled to businesses in which he was the majority shareholder.

The case was investigated by Guatemala's special anti-corruption prosecutor along with the now shuttered United Nations anti-corruption mission. They said Muadi, who led the congress in 2013, had diverted some $560,000 in public funds.

Muadi maintained his innocence and said the charges were politically motivated. The sentence also prevents Muadi from holding and requires him to pay a fine equal to the stolen funds.