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Ulviyya Poladova

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A court in Ecuador has sentenced former President Lenin Moreno to five years in prison in a corruption case.

"Based on the criminal law provisions in force at the time the offenses were committed and in accordance with the principle of applying the law most favorable to the accused, Lenin M., Konto P., Sun D., Tsay R. and Yan X. were found guilty as direct perpetrators and sentenced to five years in prison," the court said.

The court also ordered the convicted individuals to pay compensation amounting to two to three times the funds they received. In addition, Moreno and the former officials were permanently barred from holding public office.

Prosecutors had sought a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the former president.

According to the prosecution, Moreno, who was serving as vice president at the time, and his associates received bribes from Chinese company Sinohydro, which signed a contract in 2009 to build Ecuador’s largest hydroelectric power plant, Coca Codo Sinclair. The alleged bribes amounted to 4 percent of the value of the contract.

Moreno served as president of Ecuador from 2017 to 2021. From 2007 to 2013, he was vice president under Rafael Correa, who was president of the country at the time.

Image: Dolores Ochoa / AP