Former Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Bribery

An Ecuadorian court has convicted former President Lenin Moreno of bribery in connection with the construction of the nation's largest hydroelectric facility, according to the public prosecutor’s office.

Lenin Moreno, 73, received a five-year prison sentence and faces a permanent ban from holding public office. The investigation began in March 2023, when the attorney general’s office connected Lenin Moreno, his relatives, and local and Chinese business partners to an alleged corruption ring tied to the Coca Codo Sinclair plant.

“Lenin Moreno’s conduct is consistent with the charges brought by the prosecution: the crime of bribery attributed to a public official,” stated Judge Manuel Cabrera during the ruling.

Prosecutors revealed that Chinese state-owned firm Sinohydro funneled approximately $76.1m in bribes between 2009 and 2018 via fraudulent consulting contracts. Family members of Lenin Moreno, including his wife Rocio Gonzalez Navas, were also convicted and sentenced to two and a half years in prison, alongside former Chinese ambassador to Quito Cai Runguo, who received a five-year sentence.

Investigators claimed the illicit funds moved through overseas accounts and shell companies in tax havens before reaching the associates of Lenin Moreno, who allegedly received over $1m during his tenure as vice president from 2007 to 2013.

Lenin Moreno has consistently denied all allegations, maintaining he had no involvement in signing or overseeing project contracts, and previously served as president from 2017 to 2021 before returning from Paraguay to face trial.