Former Ecuador President and Chinese Diplomat Appeal Prison Terms in $76 Million Bribery Case

POLICY WIRE — Quito, Ecuador — Former President Lenin Moreno and a previous Chinese ambassador to Quito, Cai Runguo, have petitioned Ecuador’s supreme court to overturn five-year prison sentences issued last week.

The legal battle stems from a bribery scandal totaling more than US$76 million linked to the construction of the nation’s biggest hydroelectric facility.

A three-judge panel from the National Court of Justice convicted Moreno of bribery regarding contracts for the Coca Codo Sinclair plant.

The project was executed by Sinohydro, a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned PowerChina group.

The court reached a unanimous decision that Moreno leveraged his influence as vice-president between 2007 and 2013 to facilitate financing for the dam before he ascended to the presidency in 2017.

Despite the conviction, Moreno has not been taken into custody and continues to reside within Ecuador.

Due to his paraplegia, Moreno would serve his sentence at his residence rather than in a correctional facility if the ruling is sustained.

The judiciary is scheduled to review his request on September 7. A successful appeal could see his incarceration suspended in favor of supervised conditions, including regular reporting.

Speaking to the press following the announcement of the ruling, Moreno denied any financial gain, stating, I have not received a single cent from Sinohydro, so please do not come and tell me that I am an accused man.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)