Overview
- Moreno’s bribery trial, which the National Court of Justice opened Monday, allows him to skip hearings for medical reasons while requiring his attorney to attend.
- Prosecutors say the scheme moved about $76.6 million in bribes linked to the Coca Codo Sinclair dam through sham consultancies, shell firms, and Balboa Bank accounts tied to INA Investment in Panama.
- The indictment lists 21 defendants that include Moreno’s wife, daughter, and brothers, along with former energy officials and ex‑Chinese ambassador Cai Runguo.
- The prosecution’s breakdown alleges $660,000 in benefits to Moreno and relatives, including a home and furnishings for him and his wife, while most payments allegedly flowed to businessman Conto Patiño and his family.
- Moreno denies wrongdoing and calls the case political revenge, and prosecutors describe the Sinohydro affair as the largest bribery network ever investigated in Ecuador after it first surfaced in a 2019 media probe.