Former Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of bribery in one of the country’s biggest corruption cases.

Ecuador’s National Court of Justice delivered the verdict on Friday, August 28, finding Moreno guilty in the long-running Sinohydro case connected to the construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant.

The court also permanently barred the former president from holding public office.

Moreno, 73, served as Ecuador’s president from 2017 to 2021 and previously served as vice president under Rafael Correa from 2007 to 2013.

The $76 Million Sinohydro Case

The investigation centres around the construction of Coca Codo Sinclair, Ecuador’s largest hydroelectric power plant.

Prosecutors alleged that Chinese state-owned company Sinohydro paid approximately $76 million through consulting agreements as part of a bribery scheme connected to the project.

According to prosecutors, money was moved through companies and overseas accounts before eventually reaching individuals connected to the project, including members of Moreno’s family and associates.

The court concluded that Moreno used his position while serving as vice president to help favour the network connected to the awarding and financing of the project.

Moreno has repeatedly denied receiving bribes or having responsibility for the contracts.

He has argued that he neither signed nor directly supervised the Coca Codo Sinclair contracts and has accused prosecutors of targeting the wrong people.

Moreno’s Family Also Convicted

Moreno wasn’t the only person sentenced.

A total of 20 defendants were convicted in the case.

Moreno’s wife, Rocío González, his daughter Irina Moreno and other members of his family received sentences of two years and six months for their roles as accomplices.

Former Chinese ambassador to Ecuador Cai Runguo was also sentenced to five years.

The court additionally ordered financial restitution and public apologies from those convicted.

The ruling is not yet final and can still be appealed. Moreno has said he intends to remain in Ecuador while the legal process continues.

Because of his age and physical disability, if the conviction ultimately becomes final, Moreno is expected to serve his sentence under house arrest.

Another Former Ecuadorian President Convicted

The conviction adds Moreno to the list of former Ecuadorian presidents sentenced in corruption cases.

His former political ally and predecessor Rafael Correa was sentenced in 2020 to eight years in prison for corruption and barred from political office.

The Sinohydro case is particularly significant because of the enormous scale of Coca Codo Sinclair.

The approximately $2-billion hydroelectric project was promoted as a transformative infrastructure project capable of supplying a major portion of Ecuador’s electricity.

Instead, it has been surrounded by controversy, including construction defects, technical problems and years of allegations over how the project was awarded.

Now, one of the most powerful politicians in Ecuador during the years the project was developed has been convicted of corruption connected to it.

Moreno continues to maintain his innocence, and the legal battle is not over.

But for now, an Ecuadorian court has sentenced a former president to five years behind bars and permanently banned him from holding public office again.