Overview
- An Ecuadorian tribunal found former president Lenín Moreno guilty of accepting bribes and sentenced him to five years in prison, a term he will serve under house arrest because of his disability.
- The court also convicted Moreno’s wife, daughter and several relatives with the wife and daughter each receiving 30-month sentences.
- Prosecutors say Sinohydro paid roughly $76 million between 2009 and 2018 and that the payments were hidden using fraudulent consulting contracts, shell companies and overseas bank accounts.
- Moreno denies the charges, blames political rivals from the Correa era, and has announced plans to appeal the verdict.
- The case focuses attention on oversight of large foreign-built projects in Ecuador and could affect relations with China while continuing a recent pattern of high-level corruption prosecutions in the country.