Ex-Ecuadorian President Sentenced to Prison Over Corruption Charges

A former Ecuadorian president has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of taking bribes.

Lenín Moreno maintained that he did not receive any funds from the Chinese company that won the contract to construct a hydroelectric plant in the country.

At 73, Moreno will serve his term under house arrest because of his age and health condition, and he has said he plans to appeal after a Quito court convicted him and 19 others of corruption.

Moreno, who held the presidency from 2017 to 2021, becomes the third former Ecuadorian leader to receive a corruption sentence.

Prosecutors claim that Sinohydro, a state‑owned Chinese firm, funneled $76.1 million (about £56.2 million) via shell companies to individuals linked to the deal for building the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric dam.

Those sentenced to prison include Moreno’s wife, daughter and brother, along with former plant officials, Sinohydro representatives and Ecuador’s Chinese ambassador.

Although prosecutors said Moreno himself gained only a small amount, they stated that his relatives received tens of thousands of dollars.

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

Moreno denied any role in the alleged bribery scheme and pointed the finger at former president Rafael Correa, under whom he served as vice‑president and who received an eight‑year sentence in a separate bribery case in 2020.

Moreno contended that Correa had approved the Coca Codo Sinclair project and that he had initiated an inquiry into construction problems after taking office.

In 2021 the Ecuadorian government began legal action against Sinohydro after cracks and other technical problems emerged in the dam, later settling for $400 million with the company’s owner earlier this year.

The BBC has sought comment from Sinohydro and the Chinese embassy in Ecuador.

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