Former Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno has been sentenced to five years in prison after a court found him guilty of accepting bribes linked to the construction of the country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the Coca Codo Sinclair project.

The National Court of Justice in Quito ruled Friday that Moreno was directly responsible for bribery while serving as vice president under former President Rafael Correa. The court also permanently barred him from holding public office.

Moreno, 73, attended the reading of the verdict. Because of a physical disability that prevents him from walking, he will serve his sentence under house arrest, according to reports.

Corruption network linked to Chinese company

The case centers on the approximately $2 billion Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric project, which was built by the Chinese state-owned company Sinohydro and began operating in 2016.

Prosecutors alleged that a corruption network operated between 2008 and 2018, channeling illicit payments through consulting contracts and offshore structures to secure the project and its financing.

Investigators linked Moreno, members of his family, local businessmen and former Chinese ambassador to Ecuador Cai Runguo to the scheme. Reuters reported that prosecutors identified an alleged corruption network involving approximately $76.1 million in illicit payments.

The court found that Moreno used his position as vice president to intervene in matters related to the project in exchange for unjustified economic benefits directed toward members of his family.

Family members also convicted

Moreno’s wife, daughter, two brothers and a sister-in-law were also convicted as accomplices and received prison sentences of around two and a half years.

The court ordered those convicted to repay illicitly obtained funds, while the judgment also imposed permanent restrictions on Moreno’s ability to hold public office.

Former Chinese ambassador Cai Runguo was also sentenced to five years in prison, according to reports on the ruling.

Moreno denies wrongdoing

Moreno has denied the allegations and rejected claims that he participated in the bribery scheme.

During the proceedings, he argued that he did not sign or oversee contracts for the Coca Codo Sinclair project and disputed the prosecution’s interpretation of his role.

The investigation into the case was formally launched in March 2023. Prosecutors concluded their case in July 2026 after a lengthy trial and asked the court to impose a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence on Moreno. The court ultimately imposed a five-year sentence.

Coca Codo Sinclair plagued by technical problems

The corruption case has also renewed scrutiny of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant itself.

The project, which cost roughly $2 billion, was handed over to Ecuador in 2016. Since becoming operational, it has faced criticism over technical and structural problems, adding to concerns surrounding the circumstances under which the project was awarded and financed.

The prosecution’s case alleged that bribes equivalent to roughly 4% of the project’s value were distributed through domestic and international transactions to officials and other beneficiaries.

Third former Ecuadorian president convicted of corruption

Moreno’s conviction makes him the third former Ecuadorian president to receive a corruption sentence.

His predecessor and former political ally Rafael Correa was sentenced in 2020 to eight years in prison in a separate bribery case involving Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht. Correa, who has lived in Belgium for years, remains outside Ecuador.

Former President Jamil Mahuad was sentenced in 2014 to eight years for misuse of public funds, while former President Abdalá Bucaram has also faced criminal proceedings.

Moreno’s political trajectory has been particularly notable because he initially rose to power within Correa’s political movement before later breaking with his former mentor.

From Correa’s vice president to president

Moreno served as Correa’s vice president from 2007 to 2013 before winning the presidency in 2017 as the candidate of the Correísta movement.

He served as president until 2021. During his presidency, however, Moreno distanced himself sharply from Correa and pursued policies that marked a significant political break with his predecessor.

The latest conviction now places Moreno among a growing list of former Ecuadorian leaders whose political careers have ended under the shadow of corruption proceedings.

The ruling represents a major development in Ecuador’s long-running efforts to prosecute alleged corruption surrounding major public infrastructure projects and underscores the continuing political and legal fallout from the Coca Codo Sinclair project. (ILKHA)