Former Ecuador President Abdalá Bucaram Sentenced to Over Nine Years for COVID Corruption

Former Ecuador President Abdalá Bucaram and his son, Jacobo Bucaram, were sentenced to nine years and four months in prison on Wednesday for their roles in an organized crime structure. The court found them guilty of collaborating in the illegal sale of approximately 21,000 rapid COVID 19 tests and other medical supplies during the 2020 pandemic. The ruling followed a legal process lasting over six years, which included appeals and a previous dismissal of charges in 2021.

Other individuals were also sentenced in the case. A former traffic officer, identified as Leandro Berrones, received a sentence of 13 years and four months. An Israeli citizen, Sheinman Oren, received a reduced sentence of two years and eight months due to his cooperation with the prosecution. The court also imposed a fine on Abdalá and Jacobo Bucaram equivalent to 20 basic unified salaries each.

Prosecutors stated that the group operated as a criminal structure, using traffic police officers to provide security and transport supplies to Abdalá Bucaram's residence in Guayaquil. Some involved parties allegedly pretended to be members of the diplomatic corps or agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration. One foreign national involved in the case, Shy Dahan, was murdered in a Guayaquil prison in August 2020 after testifying.

Abdalá Bucaram, 74, attended the hearing via video conference from a clinic in Guayaquil where he has been receiving treatment for heart issues. Due to his age and health, he may serve his sentence under house arrest. Following the ruling, Bucaram posted on X that he requested to be discharged from the clinic despite health risks and claimed the country would learn horrifying things about the legal process.