Lima, July 21 (Xinhua) Former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori has been sentenced to 7.5 years of imprisonment for financial fraud and corruption.

The Special Penal Council of Peru's Supreme Court Monday convicted Fujimori of illegally paying his intelligence chief $15 million from the state funds.

In his defence, the 70-year-old former Peruvian stongman said the money was paid to avoid a coup plotted by his high consultant Vladimiro Montesinos.

Fujimori said he would appeal against the verdict.

This is already the third trial on Fujimori since he returned to Peru in 2007. He was previously sentenced to 25-year imprisonment in a 15-month-long marathon trial for violation of human rights, including ordering the massacre of 25 people.