A judicial tribunal in Quito has sentenced former Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno to five years in prison following a high-profile corruption trial centered on a major hydroelectric infrastructure project. Due to his advanced age of 73 and physical disability, Moreno will serve his custodial term under house arrest. The court found him alongside 19 co-defendants guilty of participating in a widespread bribery operation associated with the construction of the massive Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric dam. Moreno, who occupied the presidency from 2017 to 2021, becomes the third former head of state in the South American nation to receive a criminal conviction on corruption charges. Following the announcement of the judgment, he confirmed his decision to appeal the sentence.
Details of the $76.1 Million Bribery Scheme
The criminal prosecution hinged on allegations surrounding the Chinese state-owned corporation Sinohydro, which secured the lucrative contract to build the Coca Codo Sinclair plant. Public prosecutors established that Sinohydro funneled approximately $76.1 million (£56.2 million) in illicit payments through a network of shell companies to corrupt various officials and key individuals tied to the project agreement. Although evidence indicated that Moreno personally received only modest sums from the illicit system, investigators revealed that members of his immediate family benefited from payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars. As part of the penalty, all individuals convicted in the bribery scheme are legally mandated to repay three times the amount of money they illicitly accepted. Furthermore, Moreno has been permanently disqualified from holding any public office.
Convictions Extending to Relatives and Diplomatic Figures
The sweeping verdict targeted a broad network of associates, public officials, and foreign representatives who facilitated the illicit payments. Among the 19 other individuals convicted alongside Moreno were his wife, daughter, and brother. The court also handed down prison sentences to former managers responsible for overseeing the hydroelectric plant, corporate representatives acting on behalf of Sinohydro, and a former Chinese ambassador to Ecuador. The court determined that these entities collectively operated to orchestrate and obscure the flow of illegal capital meant to guarantee the contract's execution.
Political Countercharges and Historical Ties
Throughout the legal proceedings, Moreno steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that he had no involvement in the bribery operation. He directed blame toward former President Rafael Correa, under whose administration Moreno previously served as vice-president. Correa himself was convicted in a separate bribery trial in 2020 and received an eight-year prison sentence. Moreno asserted that it was Correa's administration that approved and finalized the contracts for the Coca Codo Sinclair project. Moreno further argued that upon assuming the presidency in 2017, he personally initiated inquiries into construction irregularities and technical defects surrounding the facility.
Dam Cracks and the $400 Million Settlement
The Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant has been plagued by severe operational and structural flaws since its completion. In 2021, the Ecuadorian government instituted formal legal action against Sinohydro after engineers discovered extensive cracks throughout the dam structure alongside numerous technical failures. The prolonged legal conflict over the plant's structural integrity culminated earlier this year when Ecuador reached a $400 million financial settlement with the parent owner of the Chinese firm.
