Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

Ecuador prosecutor investigates ex-president over missing artifacts

Former Ecuadoran president Lenin Moreno is being investigated over missing artifacts from the presidential palace that belong to the country
Former Ecuadoran president Lenin Moreno is being investigated over missing artifacts from the presidential palace that belong to the country - Copyright Myanmar’s Military Information Team/AFP/File Handout
Former Ecuadoran president Lenin Moreno is being investigated over missing artifacts from the presidential palace that belong to the country - Copyright Myanmar’s Military Information Team/AFP/File Handout

The Ecuadoran public prosecutor’s office said Monday it is investigating former president Lenin Moreno over the disappearance of priceless artifacts from the presidential palace.

The public prosecutor’s office said on Twitter it was searching Moreno’s home “in the context of an investigation into the alleged crime of embezzlement related to the alleged disappearance of heritage pieces” from the government building.

Embezzlement is punishable by up to 13 years in prison in Ecuador.

Moreno, who was president from 2017-2021, was accused of taking the artifacts by an ally of his predecessor Rafael Correa.

Moreno was Correa’s vice-president from 2007-2013, but the pair fell out and became enemies.

Correa currently lives in exile in Belgium, which granted him asylum after he was convicted in absentia of graft and sentenced to eight years in jail.

Moreno dismissed the accusations in a Twitter post as “simply another story in the many that have been invented.”

He said he had opened up his home to the search.

Moreno claims the archeological pieces that allegedly disappeared from the seat of government during his presidency “were delivered as appropriate to the competent institutions for their register and custody.”

During his presidency, Correa opened a museum in the presidential palace to exhibit jewels and other gifts he received on his official engagements, but Moreno subsequently closed it.

AFP
Written By

With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

You may also like:

Life

Rational economics will get you out of this mess. Learn how.

World

President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday hosted three-way talks with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.

Business

What is the state of the global mortgage market and to what extent can we rely on the headline data?

Business

What is clear is how companies can increasingly "leverage the value of that advert across multiple different platforms, not just TV.