Former Ecuadorian president has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of taking bribes.
Lenín Moreno, 73, was convicted by a Quito court of accepting a total of $76.1 million (£56.2 million) in bribes from Sinohydro, a Chinese state‑owned company involved in building the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric dam. The money was funneled through shell companies to executives and members of Moreno’s family.
Despite insisting that he had not taken money from the Chinese firm, Moreno will serve the sentence under house arrest because of his age and health. He has already said he will appeal the verdict. The conviction also sets Moreno’s wife, daughter and brother—along with former plant managers, Sinohydro representatives and an ambassador—aboard a list of those receiving prison terms and being barred from public office.
This is the third former Ecuadorian leader to be sentenced for corruption, following former presidents Alberto Dahm and Rafael Correa. The case illustrates the growing government crackdown on corruption, with prosecutors demanding that those convicted repay three times what they received and seeking to prosecute related officials.
The Ecuadorian government reached a $400 million settlement with Sinohydro earlier this year after technical failures on the dam were uncovered. Reporters have asked Sinohydro and the Chinese embassy for comment.
