Ex-President Lenin Moreno Ordered To Stand Trial Over Alleged $76M Bribe Scheme

One of Ecuador’s recent presidents, Lenin Moreno, has been ordered to stand trial on bribery charges tied to the construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric project, a judge ruled on Monday.

Judge Clears Way For Prosecution

Judge Olavo Hernandez determined that prosecutors may proceed with a case alleging Moreno acted as the direct perpetrator of bribery. The investigation centers on whether Moreno unduly favored the Chinese firm Sinohydro when contracts were awarded for the country’s largest hydroelectric project.

This judge resolves to bring citizen Lenin Moreno to trial as the direct perpetrator of the crime of bribery.

Allegations And Evidence

Prosecutors say the alleged illicit activity began while Moreno served as vice president from 2007 to 2013. They claim he used his influence to secure contracts for Sinohydro to build the Coca Codo Sinclair plant, which began operating in 2016. Authorities allege Sinohydro paid roughly $76 million in bribes between 2009 and 2018.

Former Attorney General Diana Salazar has described links between Moreno’s family and Sinohydro, saying they formed a "corruption network" with "interstate and transnational reach" and that illicit payments were concealed through consulting invoices, gifts, checks and transfers.

Financing, Technical Problems And Political Context

The Coca Codo Sinclair project — and related infrastructure — was financed in part with nearly $19 billion in loans from China. By comparison, Ecuador’s gross domestic product was about $124.7 billion in 2024 (World Bank). Since opening the plant has encountered technical problems, including structural cracks, prompting scrutiny of both construction quality and the terms of financing.

Moreno’s Response And Background

Moreno, who served as president from 2017 to 2021 and now lives in Paraguay, has denied wrongdoing. In a video posted on social media he said he had provided evidence to prosecutors and called the case a political persecution driven by forces aligned with his former boss, Rafael Correa.

"I have presented all the evidence to the attorney general’s office, and they have not been able to prove that I received a single cent," Moreno said. "Let’s not allow such a great injustice to be committed."

Moreno rose to national prominence as vice president to Correa and won the presidency in 2017 running for the PAIS Alliance. He later broke with Correa and enacted centre-right economic measures, turning the two leaders into prominent critics of one another — a rivalry prosecutors and Moreno both cite in discussing motivations for the case.

The judge’s ruling allows the criminal process to move forward; prosecutors will now seek to prove in court whether Moreno criminally benefited from the contracts and alleged payments.