Ex-President Bucaram Given Sentence by Ecuadorian Judges Over Corruption Charges

An Ecuadorian court has sentenced former President Abdalá Bucaram and his son, Jacobo Bucaram, to nine years and four months in prison due to their involvement in a criminal organization that fraudulently sold medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Attorney General's office has labeled Bucaram and his son as "collaborators" in an organized crime network. This group was engaged in the illegal sale of at least 21,000 COVID-19 test kits and other medical supplies in 2020, all while avoiding traffic controls.

Prosecutors disclosed that traffic police officers provided protection for two foreign individuals transporting the supplies to Bucaram’s home. These individuals falsely claimed to be members of the diplomatic corps or DEA agents.

Given his age, the 74-year-old former president may be eligible to serve his sentence under house arrest, as allowed by Ecuadorian law. He attended the ruling via video conference from a hospital in Guayaquil, where he is receiving treatment for heart issues.

 The two primary offenders in the scheme, including a former traffic officer, received sentences of 13 years and four months each. An Israeli citizen involved in the case was given a reduced sentence of two years and eight months for cooperating with the trial. Another foreign national implicated in the case was tragically murdered inside a Guayaquil prison in August 2020 shortly after providing testimony.

This first-instance ruling wraps up a trial that spanned six years. A judge had previously dismissed the charges against the Bucarams in 2021, but the trial was reinstated following a successful appeal by the Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office.

Bucaram's legal team has yet to formally respond to the ruling, although the decision remains open to appeal. Bucaram had previously held the presidency of Ecuador for six months before being removed by Congress in February 1997 on the grounds of "physical and mental incapacity."

Abdalá Bucaram served as the president of Ecuador from August 10, 1996, to February 6, 1997.