Former Ecuadorian President Moreno Sentenced Over Bribery Scandal

A court in Ecuador's capital, Quito, has found former president Lenín Moreno guilty of corruption and sentenced him to five years in prison. Because of his age, 73, and a disability, he will serve the term under house arrest. Moreno has already signalled he intends to appeal the ruling.

Moreno, who led Ecuador from 2017 to 2021, becomes the third former Ecuadorian president to be convicted of corruption. Nineteen other people were also found guilty alongside him, including his wife, daughter and brother, former managers at the power plant, representatives of Chinese firm Sinohydro, and a Chinese ambassador to Ecuador.

Payments through shell companies

Prosecutors say Sinohydro, which is state-owned by China, funnelled a total of $76.1m through shell companies to individuals connected to securing the contract to build the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric dam. While Moreno himself is alleged to have received only a small amount from the scheme, prosecutors said his relatives collected tens of thousands of dollars.

Those convicted of bribery must repay three times the amount they received, and Moreno has been banned from holding public office.

Moreno denies any involvement and instead points to former president Rafael Correa, under whom he served as vice-president. Correa was sentenced to eight years in prison in a separate corruption case in 2020. Moreno argues Correa approved the Coca Codo Sinclair project, and that he himself launched an investigation into construction problems after taking office.

In 2021, Ecuador's government began legal action against Sinohydro after cracks and other technical faults emerged in the dam. Earlier this year, it reached a $400m settlement with the company's owner.