A court in Ecuador has convicted former President Lenin Moreno on bribery charges connected to the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant, the country’s largest such facility. The tribunal sentenced the 73-year-old to five years in prison and permanently barred him from holding public office.
The investigation began in March 2023 and focused on an alleged corruption network involving Moreno, family members, and both local and Chinese business associates linked to the plant, which began operations in 2016 but has faced ongoing technical difficulties. According to the attorney general’s office, Chinese state-owned enterprise Sinohydro transferred approximately $76.1 million in bribes spanning from 2009 to 2018 through fraudulent consulting contracts. Prosecutors contended that money flowed through overseas accounts and shell companies in tax havens before reaching Moreno’s family and associates, with investigators claiming Moreno and close relatives received over $1 million while he served as vice president between 2007 and 2013.
During the proceedings, Judge Manuel Cabrera stated that Moreno’s actions aligned with the prosecution’s charges of bribery by a public official. Beyond Moreno, his wife and daughter, two brothers and their wives, were also convicted and received sentences of two and a half years in prison. China’s former ambassador to Quito, Cai Runguo, was similarly sentenced to five years.
Moreno has maintained his innocence throughout the case, denying any involvement in the project’s contract negotiations or oversight. The former president, who led the nation from 2017 to 2021, had been residing in Paraguay before returning to Ecuador to participate in the trial.
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