Quito, Aug 29 (V7N)- Former Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno has been sentenced to five years in prison in a corruption case related to the construction of the country’s largest hydroelectric power plant. He has also been permanently barred from holding public office.
Ecuador’s Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the verdict on Friday (August 28). Al Jazeera reported the development.
Moreno’s wife and daughter, along with his two brothers and their wives, were also convicted in the case. They were each sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
The Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation against Moreno in March 2023 over alleged corruption in the construction of the hydroelectric project. Investigators said they uncovered a corruption network involving Moreno, members of his family, and local and Chinese business partners.
The hydroelectric plant began operations in 2016. However, the facility has faced various technical problems since its commissioning.
The verdict marks a major legal setback for the former Ecuadorian president, who served as the country’s president from 2017 to 2021.
END/SMA/AJ
