Ecuadorian court finds former President Lenin Moreno guilty of bribery in Coca Codo Sinclair case

An Ecuadorian court has found former President Lenin Moreno guilty of bribery in a case tied to the construction of the country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the public prosecutor’s office said on Friday.

Moreno, 73, was sentenced to five years in prison and has been permanently barred from holding any public office in the future.

The attorney general’s office launched an investigation in March 2023, linking Moreno, his family members, and local and Chinese business partners to an alleged corruption network connected to the Coca Codo Sinclair plant. The facility began operating in 2016 and has experienced technical problems since.

“Lenin Moreno’s conduct is consistent with the charges brought by the prosecution: the crime of bribery attributed to a public official,” said Judge Manuel Cabrera, head of the tribunal, while delivering the ruling. The attorney general’s office said Chinese state-owned firm Sinohydro paid roughly $76.1m in bribes between 2009 and 2018 through fraudulent consulting contracts.

Moreno’s wife and daughter, along with his two brothers and their wives, were also convicted and sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Cai Runguo, China’s former ambassador to Quito, also received a five-year sentence.

Investigators alleged the funds moved through overseas accounts and shell companies in tax havens before reaching Moreno’s family and associates. Prosecutors said Moreno and his close relatives received more than $1m while he served as vice president from 2007 to 2013.

Moreno has consistently denied the allegations, insisting he had no role in signing or overseeing the project’s contracts.

“You’re looking in the wrong place. Look at those who signed the contracts, at those who had the habit of demanding kickbacks,” Moreno told the court during the hearing.

Moreno, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, returned to Ecuador from Paraguay to face trial.