Former Ecuador president Lenin Moreno sentenced to 5 years for bribery

Former Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday after a court found him guilty of accepting bribes from a Chinese company in exchange for helping it secure a contract to build a hydroelectric plant.

Moreno, 73, was present when the verdict was read. Due to a physical disability that prevents him from walking, he will serve his sentence under house arrest.

The court found Moreno to have been a direct participant in the bribery scheme, which took place during his tenure as vice president under former President Rafael Correa.

Moreno’s wife and daughter, along with two brothers and a brother-in-law, were also convicted in the case as accomplices. His wife and daughter were each sentenced to 30 months in prison.