The ruling concerns allegations that Moreno benefited from payments tied to the contract for Ecuador’s largest hydroelectric plant while he was vice president.

An Ecuadorian court on August 28 sentenced former President Lenín Moreno to five years in prison after finding him guilty of bribery in a case linked to the construction of the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant.

The National Court of Justice found that Moreno used his position as vice president, a post he held from 2007 to 2013, to help benefit Chinese state-owned contractor Sinohydro. Prosecutors said a network tied to the project moved about $76 million through consulting arrangements and offshore companies; they alleged that more than $1 million ultimately benefited Moreno and relatives.

Moreno, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, has denied wrongdoing and said he was not responsible for signing or supervising the project’s contracts. The court also imposed a permanent ban on him holding public office. Because of a physical disability, Moreno is expected to serve the prison term under house arrest, according to AP.

Several of Moreno’s relatives and other defendants were also convicted in the case. The verdict is a first-instance ruling and can be appealed. Coca Codo Sinclair, built by Sinohydro at a cost of roughly $2 billion, began operating in 2016 and has since faced technical and structural concerns.