Ecuador's National Court of Justice has found former president Lenin Moreno guilty of bribery over illicit payments linked to Chinese state firm Sinohydro.
Prosecutors have requested a sentence of six years and six months in prison for Moreno, alongside a ban from holding public office, financial penalties, and full reparation for damages caused to the state.
Judges ruled that the former leader leveraged his position as vice-president to favor Sinohydro in securing the construction contract for the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant. Reporting judge explained during the hearing that Moreno intervened outside his official jurisdiction to benefit the company and obtained indirect gains through third parties.
Moreno served as president of Ecuador between 2017 and 2021, having previously served as vice-president under former president Rafael Correa.
Family members convicted in bribery scheme
The court ruling also convicted several members of Moreno's immediate family and inner circle for their involvement in the corruption network. His wife, Rocio Gonzalez, was found guilty as an accomplice after receiving funds originating from the business structure of Conto Patino, a close friend of the former president.
Judge Manuel Cabrera clarified that the criminal responsibility of Gonzalez was based on proven intentional cooperation in the scheme rather than her marital connection to Moreno.
Moreno's daughter, Irina Moreno Gonzalez, was also convicted after tribunal judges found she accepted checks totaling $52,000 from companies linked to Patino. His brothers, Edwin Moreno and Guillermo Moreno, alongside his sister-in-law, Martha Gonzalez, were declared guilty as accomplices for receiving illicit amounts ranging between $10,000 and $387,000.
During legal proceedings, Moreno attempted to explain the financial transfers by claiming his wife had sold planners to the Patino family and that his daughter had produced painted portraits for them. However, judges rejected those claims, ruling that the transactions were part of a broader scheme designed to circulate illegal money.
Sinohydro contract and offshore investigation
The investigation by the public prosecutor's office determined that Sinohydro paid around $76 million in total bribes to secure the contract for the Coca Codo Sinclair plant, a facility capable of generating up to 1,500 megawatts of hydroelectric power.
According to prosecutors, Moreno and his family received more than $1 million from that total bribe pool. Investigators specified that Moreno personally received around $660,000 illegally, with $220,000 of that sum benefitting him and his wife in the form of housing and furniture.
Other portions of the money were distributed among Moreno's brothers, sister-in-law, daughter, and mother-in-law. Businessman Conto Patino and his family were identified as the primary beneficiaries of the scheme, allegedly receiving approximately $44 million. Former Chinese Ambassador Cai Runguo is also among the 20 individuals prosecuted in the case.
The Sinohydro scandal originally broke in 2019 following an investigative report by the news portal La Fuente. The investigation uncovered connections between one of Moreno's brothers, tax haven accounts, and a property in Alicante, Spain, focusing on an offshore company called INA Investment.
Moreno denies charges and shifts blame
Speaking at a press conference during a recess in the hearing, Moreno rejected the accusations against him and insisted on his innocence. He stated that he had declined an offer of asylum in Paraguay and chose to return to Ecuador because he believed in his innocence.
Moreno stated that there was no case against him and asserted that he had not received a single cent. He placed responsibility for the Sinohydro contract on the government of Rafael Correa.
Moreno questioned at what point he had intervened in the project, stating that construction was carried out by former vice-president Jorge Glas on the orders of Correa. He added that prosecutors needed to link a high-ranking official to the case simply to maintain the charge of bribery.
Correa, who has been convicted in separate corruption cases and is distanced from Moreno, commented on social media that his former running mate would likely receive house arrest. Correa wrote that Moreno would be released from prison after two years, adding that history would at least know Moreno was corrupt.
Pending sentences and proposed penalties
The judicial panel has yet to determine the exact sentence lengths and penalties for Moreno and the 19 other convicted individuals.
In addition to six years and six months of imprisonment, prosecutors requested that the court prohibit all convicted defendants from holding public office, impose fines, and order full reparation for financial losses.
Prosecutors also asked the court to compel the defendants to issue formal public apologies and order the installation of an anti-corruption monument at the hydroelectric complex.
