A former United Nations procurement chief who accepted bribes in exchange for awarding contracts worth $100m (€64m, £50m) has been jailed for eight years by a US court, the highest sentence imposed in a series of corruption cases involving the world body.

Sanjaya Bahel, a 57-year-old Indian citizen, received discounts on two luxurious apartments that he bought one block away from the UN’s Manhattan headquarters, in exchange for awarding contracts to Nishan Kohli, a Florida-based businessman. Mr Kohli had previously pleaded guilty and testified against Mr Bahel at his New York federal trial.