A court in Ecuador has sentenced former President, Lenín Moreno to five years in prison after finding him guilty in a corruption case linked to the construction of the country’s largest hydroelectric power project.

The ruling followed a lengthy investigation into allegations that bribes were paid in exchange for contracts connected to the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant.

Prosecutors alleged that a network involving business associates, public officials and foreign partners facilitated illicit payments over several years.

The court found that Moreno played a role in the scheme while serving as vice president before later becoming president.

In addition to the prison sentence, the former leader has been barred from holding public office in the future.

Several of Moreno’s relatives and associates were also convicted and handed various prison terms for their involvement in the case.

Moreno has consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting that he neither signed nor supervised the contracts at the center of the investigation.

He maintained that the accusations were misplaced and argued that investigators should focus on officials directly responsible for the project.

The case is one of the most significant corruption trials in Ecuador in recent years and has attracted widespread attention across Latin America.

Moreno served as Ecuador’s president from 2017 to 2021 after previously holding the position of vice president.

The verdict marks another major corruption conviction involving a former Ecuadorian leader and underscores the country’s continuing efforts to address high-level graft.