A local court has sentenced a 55-year-old man to two years in prison for committing telephone-based financial scams while masquerading as the country's ruling party chief and other politicians, court records showed Monday.

The Busan District Court found the defendant, identified only by his surname Kim, guilty of swindling some 40 million won ($33,000) from 10 people, including a local council member and a professor, last year.

Playing a double role, Kim first called the victims disguised as Rep. Kim Moo-sung of the ruling Saenuri Party or other politicians such as a presidential aide. Then he met them pretending that he was sent by the politicians, according to the records.

The victims, mostly social leaders, are known to have trusted the defendant as his voice was similar to that of the ruling party chief.

"(The defendant) should be severely punished as the nature of crime is very bad and he committed the crime after he had been punished 21 times for fraud charges," the court said. (Yonhap)