A court in Equatorial Guinea has convicted Ruslan Obiang Nsue, son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, for illegally selling an aircraft belonging to the national airline, Ceiba Intercontinental. The plane, an ATR 72-500, had been undergoing maintenance in Spain and was sold without proper authorization to a Spanish aircraft maintenance company in 2020.
Ruslan Obiang Nsue, formerly the deputy general manager of Ceiba Intercontinental, admitted to the unauthorized sale but claimed he only received part of the payment and used it to settle debts owed by the airline. The authorities have charged him with abuse of power, embezzlement, misuse of public assets, and abuse of office.
Prosecutors are seeking an 18-year jail term and a fine equivalent to approximately $850,000. The court has postponed the judgment with no new date set. Ruslan was arrested in January 2023 and initially placed under house arrest before being moved to judicial custody.
This case has attracted significant attention as it involves a close family member of the long-serving president and highlights concerns about corruption and governance within Equatorial Guinea’s elite.