By Barnaby Phillips BBC, Johannesburg

Tony Yengeni, the former chief whip of South Africa's parliament, was sentenced in Pretoria.

Yengeni plans to appeal

The case is seen as an important test of the South African Government's willingness to fight corruption.

Tony Yengeni's fall from grace has been dramatic; a flamboyant and prominent member of the ANC, and a former freedom fighter, few expected him to receive such a long prison sentence.

The judge said that Mr Yengeni had shown no remorse, and had forced the taxpayer to fund a long and costly trial.

He said the fact that Mr Yengeni had just resigned from parliament was probably the only honourable thing the court could take into account in his favour.

Luxury car

Mr Yengeni's lawyer said his client would appeal against the sentence.

Mr Yengeni was the chairman of parliament's defence committee at the time the South African Government negotiated a multi-billion dollar arms deal with companies in Europe.

Mr Yengeni received a luxury car at a substantial discount from one company involved in the deal - and then misled parliament when questioned about the car.

Several other senior officials have been implicated in investigations of the arms deal.