Ecuador sentences ex-president Moreno to five years in jail in bribery case

Lenin Moreno, 73, has also been permanently barred from holding any public office in the future.Published On 29 Aug 202629 Aug 2026An Ecuadorian court has found former President Lenin Moreno guilty of bribery in a case tied to the construction of the country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the public prosecutor’s office said on Friday.Moreno, 73, was sentenced to five years in prison and has been permanently barred from holding any public office in the future.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2Ecuador’s new president sworn inlist 2 of 2Is Trump making Latin America great again?end of listThe attorney general’s office launched an investigation in March 2023, linking Moreno, his family members, and local and Chinese business partners to an alleged corruption network connected to the Coca Codo Sinclair plant. The facility began operating in 2016 and has experienced technical problems since.“Lenin Moreno’s conduct is consistent with the charges brought by the prosecution: the crime of bribery attributed to a public official,” said Judge Manuel Cabrera, head of the tribunal, while delivering the ruling. The attorney general’s office said Chinese state-owned firm Sinohydro paid...