Former Ecuadorian president Lenín Moreno has been found guilty of bribery after taking illegal payments from Chinese construction group Sinohydro in exchange for a major hydroelectric dam contract. The ruling was announced by Ecuador's judiciary following a corruption investigation into public procurement practices.
The prosecutor's office confirmed that four people were convicted in connection with the corruption scheme involving Sinohydro. Among those found guilty is Moreno, who led the South American nation from 2017 to 2021 and previously served as vice president under socialist former president Rafael Correa between 2007 and 2013, the period when the criminal offenses took place.
According to prosecutors, Moreno participated in an extensive corruption ring that operated from 2009 to 2018. The network illegally manipulated the bidding and contract awarding process for the construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric power plant, one of Ecuador's largest energy infrastructure facilities.
Bribery allegations and proposed sentence
The court has not yet determined the sentence to be imposed on Moreno. Prosecution officials have formally recommended a prison term of six years and six months for the former president.
Following the delivery of the verdict, Moreno maintained his innocence, stating that he had not received a single penny from Sinohydro. Prosecutors alleged that the Chinese state-owned engineering corporation distributed a total of 76 million dollars in bribes to secure the power plant contract.
The 73-year-old former leader, who uses a wheelchair, denied all wrongdoing and claimed he is the target of political persecution. Moreno asserted that the legal proceedings against him were orchestrated by his former ally, Correa.
Approximately 20 other individuals were charged during the investigation into the bribery scheme. The group included Moreno's wife and daughter, corporate executives, and China's former ambassador to Quito, Ecuador's capital city.
Political fallout and presidential rift
Moreno originally came to power with the backing of Correa, who governed Ecuador from 2007 to 2017 and played a decisive role in elevating his protégé to the presidency. However, once in office, Moreno broke away from his predecessor's policies, aligned Ecuador closer with the United States, and entered into an open political conflict with his former mentor.
Correa has lived in Belgium, the home country of his wife, since stepping down from the presidency in 2017. In 2020, an Ecuadorian court convicted Correa in absentia in a separate corruption case and sentenced him to eight years in prison. Belgian authorities subsequently granted Correa political asylum.
