Former Ecuador President Lenín Moreno sentenced to five years for bribery

Former Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno has been sentenced to five years in prison after a court found him guilty of bribery. The conviction stems from allegations that he accepted bribes to facilitate the financing of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric power plant, a major national infrastructure project undertaken by the Chinese company Sinohydro. The court determined that Moreno, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, received illicit funds channeled through business circles that were then distributed to various entities, including those connected to his family.

The ruling by the National Court of Justice also imposed a perpetual ban on Moreno holding public office. The court's decision supports the prosecution's argument that Chinese company Sinohydro paid over $1 million in bribes out of a total of $76 million related to the plant's construction financing, secured through Eximbank. Judges stated that Moreno, during his tenure as vice president under Rafael Correa (2007-2017), overstepped his authority to benefit Sinohydro, with the proceeds going to his family's associates.

Moreno has denied the charges, asserting he never received any money from Sinohydro and claiming the case is a politically motivated fabrication by his predecessor, Correa, intended as revenge. He stated that upon becoming president, he initiated investigations into the previous administration's poorly executed projects, including the hydroelectric plant, which he noted had thousands of fissures upon inspection. In addition to his prison sentence, Moreno faces a fine equivalent to triple the amount he allegedly received, approximately $58,026.

Also convicted in the case were twenty other individuals, including Moreno's wife, Rocío González, his daughter Irina, his brothers Edwin and Guillermo, and his sister-in-law Marta González. They received sentences of two years and six months. Moreno's friend Conto Patiño and former Chinese ambassador Cai Runguo were also sentenced to five years. Only one person was acquitted.

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