An Ecuadorean judge ruled on Monday that former president Lenin Moreno must stand trial on bribery charges linked to the construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant, the country’s largest power facility.
The decision allows prosecutors to move forward with allegations that Moreno influenced the awarding of contracts to Chinese firm Sinohydro during his time as vice president and later as president.
Prosecutors accuse Moreno and associates of receiving approximately $76 million in bribes from Sinohydro between 2009 and 2018 in exchange for securing the contract for the plant, which began operations in 2016.
The charges, first filed in March 2023, also involve members of Moreno’s family and local and Chinese business figures.
Authorities allege the payments were disguised as consulting fees, gifts, checks, and transfers through a network with interstate and transnational reach.
The Coca Codo Sinclair facility has faced persistent technical problems, including structural cracks, since its inauguration.
Lenin Moreno, who served as vice president from 2007 to 2013 and president from 2017 to 2021, has repeatedly rejected the accusations.
Living in Paraguay since leaving office, he described the case as unjust in a recent social media video.
“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.
He has claimed the prosecution stems from political persecution by supporters of his former ally turned rival, ex-president Rafael Correa.
Moreno’s residency abroad is expected to complicate the upcoming trial proceedings.