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What does the Quito ruling cover?

Lenín Moreno has become the latest former Ecuadorian president to face a major court ruling in Quito, where he was convicted in a bribery case. Moreno, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, was found guilty of corruption alongside 19 other people. The court handed the 73-year-old former leader a five-year prison sentence, but ruled that he will serve it under house arrest because of his age and disability.

Following the verdict, Moreno is expected to appeal. He has now become the country’s third former president to be convicted over corruption. The court also barred him from holding public office again.

Which project is at the center of the allegations?

According to prosecutors, Chinese state-owned Sinohydro transferred a total of $76.1 million through shell companies to people involved in the deal in order to secure the construction contract for the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant. The indictment alleged that Moreno received only a small direct share of the scheme, while tens of thousands of dollars went to members of his family.

  • Those sentenced included Moreno’s wife, daughter and brother.
  • Former plant executives, Sinohydro representatives and a Chinese ambassador in Ecuador were also among those convicted.

What additional penalties did the court impose?

The convicted defendants were ordered to repay three times the amount of the bribes they received. The measure underscored the financial consequences of a case that went beyond prison terms alone.

Moreno’s defense and the case background

Moreno denied the accusations and blamed former President Rafael Correa, under whom he previously served as vice president. Correa was sentenced to eight years in prison in a separate bribery case in 2020. Moreno argued that approval for the Coca Codo Sinclair project was granted during Correa’s presidency, and that he ordered an investigation into construction problems after taking office.

The Ecuadorian government began legal action against Sinohydro in 2021 after cracks and other technical defects were discovered at the dam. Earlier this year, officials reached a $400 million settlement with the company’s owner. The BBC contacted Sinohydro and the Chinese Embassy in Ecuador for comment after the ruling.

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