Baltasar Ebang Engonga, former Director General of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency, has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a provincial court for embezzlement and misappropriating public funds. The court also imposed a fine of $220,000 and banned Engonga from holding public office during his sentence.
Engonga’s case attracted widespread attention not only because of the corruption charges but also due to a sensational scandal involving over 400 sex tapes uncovered during investigations. The explicit tapes allegedly feature him and various high-profile women, including spouses of senior government officials, sparking national outrage.
During his tenure from 2015 to 2020, Engonga was accused of siphoning funds meant for official expenses for personal use. He was detained in September 2024 and has been held at Black Beach Prison since then.
The trial also involved six other senior officials accused of being part of a large network engaged in public fund looting. The scandal has rocked Equatorial Guinea’s political elite and highlighted persistent issues of corruption and governance challenges in the oil-rich nation.