Former Ecuadorian President LenĂn Moreno sentenced to five years in prison for bribery.
Former Ecuadorian President LenĂn Moreno has been sentenced to five years in prison after a court found him guilty of accepting bribes from a Chinese state-owned firm. The 73-year-old leader, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, will serve his sentence under house arrest due to his age and physical disability. The conviction stems from a corruption network involving the construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant, where the firm Sinohydro allegedly paid $76.1 million in bribes through shell companies between 2009 and 2018. While LenĂn Moreno insisted he had little personal involvement in the scheme, prosecutors argued that he and his family members received significant funds while he served as vice president. The court also convicted several family members and Chinese officials, ordering them to repay triple the amount they received. LenĂn Moreno has been barred from holding any public office in the future.