Ecuador court convicts former president Lenín Moreno over $76 million Sinohydro bribery scheme

Conviction and charges

Ecuador's National Court of Justice convicted former president Lenín Moreno on 28 August 2026 for bribery connected to the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric project. A three-judge panel in Quito, led by judge Manuel Cabrera, unanimously found that Moreno abused his authority while serving as vice president between 2007 and 2013 to advance the interests of Chinese state-owned firm Sinohydro. The court also declared his wife, Judith González, his daughter Irina Moreno González, his brothers Edwin and Guillermo Moreno, and his sister-in-law Martha González guilty as accomplices. The state attorney general's office, represented by prosecutor Carlos Alarcón, requested a sentence of six years and six months of imprisonment for Moreno and 19 co-defendants. The judges completed a reading that lasted nearly seven hours before entering a recess without immediately announcing the final sentencing lengths.

Structure of the bribery network

Judicial findings established that Sinohydro disbursed approximately $76.1 million in illicit payments to secure the contract for the Coca Codo Sinclair power plant, which represents roughly 4% of the total contract value. The financial network operated between 2009 and 2018, routing funds through commercial intermediaries and offshore corporate entities located in Panama. According to the court, Moreno used his public office to assist an intermediary network linked to businessman and lobbyist Conto Patiño, a personal associate of the former vice president. The ruling detailed how Sinohydro transferred money to firms tied to Patiño, such as Comercial Recorsa, which then distributed funds via bank transfers and checks to public officials and members of Moreno's immediate family. Between 2010 and 2018, Moreno's family members received over $1.11 million through these corporate channels.

Individual verdicts and corporate ties

The trial at the National Court of Justice concluded after 31 days of hearings that commenced in May 2026. Among the 20 individuals indicted in the case was the former general manager of Coca Codo Sinclair, Luciano Cepeda Vasco, whom the tribunal convicted as a direct perpetrator of passive bribery. Court records documented that Cepeda received $175,000 from Comercial Recorsa through a check and financial transfers originating in Panama without legitimate commercial or tax documentation. The broader indictment also included Cai Rungo, the former ambassador of China to Ecuador, as part of the alleged illicit association. During the trial, former vice president Jorge Glas gave testimony as a witness for the prosecution regarding the administration and execution of the hydroelectric project.

Political reactions and defense claims

Speaking to reporters during a court recess, Moreno denied all wrongdoing and asserted that he had not intervened in project financing or contract awards. He directed blame toward former president Rafael Correa and former vice president Jorge Glas, stating that they oversaw and signed the bilateral agreement.

The one who signed the contract is Rafael Correa Delgado. He made a government-to-government contract. At what point did I intervene? In the construction? No. The construction was done, by order of Rafael Correa, it was done by Jorge Glas and paradoxically the moment they finished the construction. I have not received a single cent from Sinohydro.

Following the verdict, Correa reacted from Belgium, where he resides as a fugitive from an unrelated corruption conviction in Ecuador. Moreno maintained in court that the judicial proceedings represented a targeted campaign organized by political allies of Correa.