Former President Bucaram Sentenced to Nine Years in Ecuador Corruption Case

A court in Ecuador has sentenced former President Abdala Bucaram and his son, Jacobo, to nine years and four months in prison over their alleged involvement in a corruption case linked to the sale of medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ruling was delivered after a six-year trial into the illegal sale of medical equipment, including coronavirus test kits.

Bucaram, who was removed from office in 1997, followed the proceedings remotely from a medical facility in Guayaquil, where he was receiving treatment for heart-related complications. Police officers were stationed at the facility during the hearing.

Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office said the former president and his son were convicted as collaborators in organised criminal activity.

Two other individuals identified as the main perpetrators were each handed 13-year-and-four-month prison sentences. Another person linked to the case was killed inside a prison in August 2020.

The latest ruling follows a prolonged legal battle. A judge initially dismissed the charges against Bucaram and his son in 2021, but proceedings continued after the Attorney General’s Office appealed the decision.

Bucaram had earlier sought to leave the medical facility despite his health condition, maintaining that he wanted to remain free to defend himself during the legal process.

The former president’s turbulent political career dates back to 1996, when he took office. He was removed by Ecuador’s Congress in February 1997, just six months into his presidency, after lawmakers declared him physically and mentally incapable of governing.

He subsequently spent about two decades in exile in Panama before returning to Ecuador.

The latest conviction adds another chapter to the controversial political career of the former president, whose legal troubles have continued years after his brief tenure in office.