Ecuador sentences former president Lenin Moreno to five years in prison for bribery

An Ecuadorian court has found former President Lenin Moreno guilty of bribery in a case related to the construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant, according to the public prosecutor’s office. Moreno, 73, was sentenced to five years in prison and is permanently barred from holding any public office in the future. The attorney general’s office initiated an investigation in March 2023, linking Moreno, his family members, and local and Chinese business partners to an alleged corruption network. The Coca Codo Sinclair plant began operations in 2016 and has faced technical issues since. Judge Manuel Cabrera, head of the tribunal, stated, "Lenin Moreno’s conduct is consistent with the charges brought by the prosecution: the crime of bribery attributed to a public official." The attorney general’s office reported that the Chinese state-owned firm Sinohydro paid approximately $76.1 million in bribes between 2009 and 2018 through fraudulent consulting contracts. Moreno’s wife, daughter, and two brothers, along with their wives, were also convicted and sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Cai Runguo, China’s former ambassador to Quito, received a five-year sentence. Investigators claimed that the funds were funneled through overseas accounts and shell companies in tax havens before reaching Moreno’s family and associates. Prosecutors indicated that Moreno and his close relatives received over $1 million while he served as vice president from 2007 to 2013. Moreno has denied the allegations, asserting he did not sign or oversee the project’s contracts. He stated, "You’re looking in the wrong place. Look at those who signed the contracts, at those who had the habit of demanding kickbacks." Moreno, who was president from 2017 to 2021, returned to Ecuador from Paraguay to face trial.