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Engonga, who is married with six children, reportedly recorded more than 400 pornographic videos
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Malabo
The former Director General of Equatorial Guinea’s National Agency for Financial Investigation, Baltasar Engonga Ebang, has been convicted and sentenced to 18 years in prison after being found guilty of embezzling more than 1 billion CFA francs in government funds.
Engonga rose to notoriety in late 2024 when sex tapes featuring him went viral on social media. Following the scandal, he faced multiple allegations of financial misconduct related to the fraudulent management of a state-owned company under the Ministry of Finance. According to local media reports, Engonga personally pocketed 910 million CFA francs of the embezzled funds, allegedly spending most of it on women and lavish indulgences.
The trial, which began on Monday, implicated several other officials connected to the public enterprise.
During proceedings, prosecutors demanded multiple sentences, including eight years for embezzlement, four years and five months for illicit enrichment, and six years and one day for abuse of power. They ultimately sought an 18-year prison term along with a fine of nearly one billion CFA francs.
However, Engonga’s defence team rejected all charges, claiming the accusations were politically motivated.
In Wednesday’s ruling, judges cited overwhelming evidence, including suspicious bank transfers, offshore accounts, and forged contracts. The prosecution described the case as “one of the largest financial betrayals of public trust in recent memory.” Observers noted that Engonga remained mostly silent throughout the hearing.
After verifying all evidence, the presiding judge sentenced Engonga to 18 years in prison for embezzlement of public funds. His conviction marks a significant milestone in Equatorial Guinea’s ongoing fight against corruption among the political elite. His co-conspirators, whose identities are expected to be revealed in the coming days, are also due to face sentencing.
Egonga facing the justice
Who Is Baltasar Engonga?
In November 2024, videos circulated widely on social media showing Baltasar Engonga, then head of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), engaged in sexual acts with more than 40 women. The explicit footage, initially shared on WhatsApp before spreading to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, caused a national scandal.
Reports indicated that none of the women appeared to have been coerced by Engonga. Some were identified as wives of prominent government officials, relatives, and personal staff members.
Engonga, who is married with six children, reportedly recorded more than 400 pornographic videos — some filmed inside his office at the Ministry of Finance, others in hotels, restrooms, and even beside a river.
Following the scandal, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo appointed Zenón Obiang Obiang Avomo as the new Director General of the National Agency for Financial Investigation. The government also launched an investigation into Engonga’s financial activities and misconduct linked to the sex tape scandal.
A government representative described Engonga’s actions as a violation of “the ethical and moral values of noble Equatorial Guinean society,” adding that the State Attorney General’s Office would conduct a thorough probe into all related offences.
The Minister of Information, Press, and Culture, Jerónimo Osa Osa, emphasised that the investigation would address multiple aspects — from distinguishing between personal and private spheres to examining prior consent, privacy violations, reputational harm, and the rights of affected individuals, including the state itself.
Baltasar Engonga is well-connected within the ruling elite. He is the son of Baltasar Engonga Edjo, the current Chairman of the Commission of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), and is reportedly related to President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
Source: Technext
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