Nigeria, Aug. 29 -- An Ecuadorian court has sentenced former President Lenin Moreno to five years in prison for accepting bribes linked to the construction of the country's largest hydroelectric power plant.

Moreno, 73, who served as president between 2017 and 2021, was among 20 people convicted in connection with corruption allegations surrounding the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric project, constructed by Chinese firm Sinohydro.

Prosecutors alleged that Sinohydro paid about $76 million in bribes, equivalent to roughly four per cent of the project's total cost.

Moreno denied the allegations, insisting that he never received money from the Chinese company. Speaking after Friday's ruling, he said he had not received "a single cent" fr...