**Former Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno Sentenced to Five Years for Corruption**
In a significant ruling, Lenín Moreno, the former president of Ecuador, has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of corruption. The verdict was delivered by a court in Quito, and Moreno, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, is among 20 individuals convicted in connection with a bribery scheme linked to the construction of a hydroelectric plant.
Moreno, now 73 years old, has maintained his innocence, asserting that he did not accept bribes from Sinohydro, a Chinese state-owned company that secured a contract for the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric dam. Despite his claims, the court found him guilty of participating in a corruption network that allegedly involved the payment of $76.1 million through shell companies to various individuals associated with the project.
As part of the ruling, Moreno will serve his sentence under house arrest, a decision influenced by his age and reported disabilities. He has expressed his intention to appeal the court's decision.
The corruption case has broader implications, as it marks Moreno as the third former Ecuadorian president to be convicted of corruption-related offenses. Among those sentenced alongside him are family members, including his wife, daughter, and brother, as well as former managers of the hydroelectric plant and representatives from Sinohydro. The court's findings indicated that while Moreno himself allegedly received minimal financial benefits from the scheme, his family members reportedly received significant sums.
In addition to prison sentences, those convicted of bribery are required to repay three times the amount they received. Furthermore, Moreno has been barred from holding public office in the future.
In his defense, Moreno has pointed fingers at his predecessor, Rafael Correa, under whom he served as vice president. Correa was sentenced to eight years in prison in a separate bribery case in 2020. Moreno argues that Correa was responsible for the approval of the Coca Codo Sinclair project and claims he initiated an investigation into the construction issues once he took office.
The Ecuadorian government initiated legal proceedings against Sinohydro in 2021 after discovering significant structural problems with the dam, including cracks and other technical failures. Earlier this year, the government reached a $400 million settlement with the company regarding these issues.
As the legal proceedings continue, the case has drawn attention to the broader issues of corruption within Ecuador's political landscape. The BBC has reached out to Sinohydro and the Chinese embassy in Ecuador for comments regarding the case but has not yet received a response.
The outcome of Moreno's appeal and the implications for Ecuador's political future remain to be seen as the country grapples with the fallout from this high-profile corruption case.