Former Ecuadorian president imprisoned for corruption
Lenín Moreno denies taking bribes from a Chinese firm to secure a contract to build a hydroelectric plant.
Former Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno has been sentenced to five years in prison for corruption after being found guilty of receiving bribes from a Chinese firm, Sinohydro. The 73-year-old, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, denied any wrongdoing and blamed former President Rafael Correa instead. Moreno will serve his sentence under house arrest due to his age and disability.
He and 19 others, including Moreno's family members and Sinohydro representatives, were found guilty of corruption. Prosecutors alleged that Sinohydro paid a total of $76.1m through shell companies to secure the construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric dam. Those convicted of bribery will have to repay three times what they received, while Moreno was barred from public office.
The Ecuadorian government initiated legal proceedings against Sinohydro in 2021 due to technical failures of the dam, eventually reaching a $400m settlement with the firm's owner. Moreno's case is the third in which a former Ecuadorian leader has been sentenced for corruption.
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