Ecuador’s Neoliberal Ex-President Prosecuted For Corruption

Ecuador’s state prosecutors’ office (FGE) announced this Wednesday that the former neoliberal president, Lenín Moreno, as well as members of his family and former officials, will be prosecuted for the alleged crime of bribery in a case called “INA Papers”.

The Attorney General has asked the National Court of Justice (CNJ) to set a date for the hearing to formalize the charges against Moreno; his wife, Rocío González; his daughter Ina Moreno; as well as more than 30 former officials. The investigation also includes Moreno’s, Edwin and Guillermo, his sisters-in-law Jaquelina V. and Martha G.; his friends Conto Patiño and Xavier Macías.

The case relates to a network of bribes paid to officials to obtain construction contracts for the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric project. A statement from the prosecutor’s office says, “the amount of the alleged bribes amount to around 76 million dollars, which would correspond to approximately 4 percent of the value of the contract, which initially was almost 1.9 Billion dollars; although in practice its cost exceeded 2.2 Billion”.

The case, initially known as INA Paper due to its links to the offshore company INA Investment Corporation, was opened in 2019 almost two years after Moreno took office.

Ex-president Rafale Correa responded to the news, saying; “ Never forget the cynicism with which the wretched [Lenin] Moreno accused us of being corrupt, with the applause of the partyocracy and the media. Time has proven us right again. They were always the corrupt ones. 

For more news and analysis, check out our podcast Latin America Review: https://linktr.ee/latinamericareview 

By Kawsachun News