Ecuador’s former President Lenin Moreno has been convicted of bribery and sentenced to five years in prison by an Ecuadorian court. The case is connected to the construction of the country’s largest hydroelectric plant.
Judge Manuel Cabrera of the tribunal delivered the ruling on Friday, saying Moreno’s conduct was “consistent with the charges brought by the prosecution: the crime of bribery attributed to a public official.” The 73-year-old has also been permanently barred from holding any public office in the future.
The case centres on the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant, which began operating in 2016 and has experienced technical problems since. The attorney general’s office launched an investigation in March 2023, alleging that Chinese state-owned firm Sinohydro paid approximately $76.1 million in bribes between 2009 and 2018 through fraudulent consulting contracts. Prosecutors said the funds were moved through overseas accounts and shell companies in tax havens before reaching Moreno’s family and associates. Moreno and his close relatives are alleged to have received more than $1 million while he served as vice president from 2007 to 2013.
Moreno was not alone in the dock. His wife, daughter, two brothers, and their wives were also convicted and sentenced to two and a half years in prison each. Cai Runguo, China’s former ambassador to Quito, received a five-year sentence.
Moreno returned to Ecuador from Paraguay to face trial. He denied the allegations throughout proceedings, insisting he had no role in signing or overseeing the project’s contracts.
“You’re looking in the wrong place,” he told the court.
“Look at those who signed the contracts, at those who had the habit of demanding kickbacks.”
The attorney general’s investigation began in March 2023, linking Moreno, his family, and a network of local and Chinese business partners to the alleged corruption scheme. Moreno served as vice president from 2007 to 2013 and as president from 2017 to 2021.
