Start of the trial stage of the Sinohydro case is postponed again to May 11 | Politics | News

The trial phase in the Sinohydro case—in which the former vice president and former president of the Republic Lenín Moreno, his wife, his daughter, his friend, and 17 more people— It was postponed for the second time. This time, the hearing was modified for May 11, 2026, at 08:30.

The judge Manuel Cabrera Esquivel, member of the trial courtchanged the date of the proceedings due to several deferral requests presented by the defenses of some of those investigated.

The magistrate summoned the trial audience in the courtroom on the 8th floor of the National Court of Justice building, in Quito.

In this process, the 21 called to trial are accused as direct perpetrators and accomplices of the crime of bribery. This crime would have occurred in the contracting process of the Chinese company Sinohydro, which was in charge of the construction of the hydroelectric project Coca Elbow Sinclair, mega work carried out during the government of Rafael Correa that cost the country close to $2 billion.

Initially, the start of the trial phase was scheduled for May 4, but the judge Cabrera changed it for him April 14; However, he modified it again for the May 11.

In his call on April 2, the magistrate clarified that “the proceedings are called with sufficient time for the preparation of the technical defense, which includes the selection of a trusted lawyer, and each of the procedural subjects must take the necessary precautions to have a legal professional for the designated day and time.”

For this reason, the judge pointed out, “requests for deferral will not be accepted due to a change of defender at the last minute or due to their absence.”

Witnesses, experts and evidence announced by the Prosecutor’s Office

The document also informs that, in accordance with articles 615 to 616 of the Comprehensive Criminal Organic Code (COIP), during the trial hearing the evidence announced in the trial evaluation and preparatory hearing will be practiced, with the exception of those excluded at said stage.

For this hearing, the State Attorney General’s Office announced that it will present 99 witnesses and experts and as documentary evidence it has some 176 texts.

Among the witnesses and experts is former vice president Jorge Glas; who is in the Cárcel del Encuentro; investigating agents of the National Police; the director of Operations Analysis of the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit (UAFE); José Almeida Hernández, deputy director general of Tax Compliance of the Internal Revenue Service (SRI), representatives of several banks, among others.

For its part, the State Attorney General’s Office, as private prosecutor, is preparing the presentation of 80 experts and witnesses; and 153 documents as documentary evidence.

He Sinohydro case trial court It is also composed of Manuel Cabrera Esquivel (speaker), by Daniella Camacho Herold and Julio Inga Yanza.

According to the accusation of the State Attorney General’s Office, those called to trial as perpetrators and accomplices They would have integrated a corruption network that facilitated the construction contract for the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric project in exchange for $76 million, bribes that would have been delivered through third parties, for example, by false consulting services.

In addition to Lenín Moreno, in this case they were called to trial, as direct authors, his personal friend Conto Patiño; the Ecuadorians Luciano Cepeda, former technical manager and former general manager of Coca Sinclair EP, and Henry Galarza, former general manager of Coca Sinclair EP, among others.

And as accomplices Lenín Moreno’s wife, daughter, two brothers and a sister-in-law were called to trial for the crime of bribery: Rocío González, Irina Moreno González, Guillermo and Edwin Moreno Garcés and Martha González; as well as some relatives of Conto Patiño.

The list is completed with Conto Patiño’s former lawyers: Eduardo Carmigniani, Carlos Almeida and María Augusta Baquero, who is the wife of co-defendant Luciano Cepeda. (YO)