Ecuadorian court sentences former president Bucaram in COVID fraud case
An Ecuadorian court has sentenced former president Abdalá Bucaram to nine years and four months in prison in a case involving participation in a criminal organization linked to the fraudulent sale of medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Verdict in the medical supplies case
Daily Maverick reports on the court's decision. Bucaram, 74, was convicted along with his son Jacobo Bucaram, who received the same sentence. According to the prosecution, the defendants created an organized criminal structure and repeatedly acted in coordination.
Ecuador's Attorney General's Office accused four people of obtaining financial benefit during negotiations to procure approximately 21,000 rapid COVID-19 tests and other medical supplies. The case concerns the period from March to August 2020, when Ecuador was experiencing one of the region's most severe pandemic outbreaks.
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Appeal and other sentences
Bucaram's lawyers did not comment on the court's ruling. The former president may appeal the verdict. Under Ecuadorian law, due to his age, he may serve his sentence under house arrest.
A former traffic police officer in the case was sentenced to 13 years and four months in prison. An Israeli citizen received a reduced sentence of two years and eight months for cooperating during the trial.
Bucaram joined the hearing by video link from a hospital in Guayaquil, where he is being treated for heart problems. Prosecutors said that traffic police officers guarded two foreigners who transported medical supplies to Bucaram's residence in Guayaquil. According to the investigation, those involved in the transport posed as members of the diplomatic corps or agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
