By A Bioko provincial court this week handed down an eight-year prison sentence to Baltasar Ebang Engonga nicknamed “Bello” a former senior official in Equatorial Guinea, for embezzlement. The married ex-director of the National Financial Investigation Agency was also fined $220,000 (approximately 910 million CFA francs).
Engonga was found guilty of diverting funds claimed as official travel expenses for personal use—a charge that formed part of a broader corruption probe implicating five other senior government officials.
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His sentencing follows a scandal that rocked the nation in late 2024, when hundreds of private sex tapes, allegedly featuring Engonga with prominent women including wives and relatives of ministers and security figures were leaked online. Some of these videos were filmed in his office and even featured the national flag in the background.
In response to the unprecedented scandal, the government ordered sweeping measures: the installation of surveillance cameras in government offices, suspension of implicated officials, and tightened security protocols part of a broader effort to curb misconduct and protect the country’s reputation. Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue declared a zero-tolerance stance, even suggesting that Engonga could face additional charges if medical checks revealed sexually transmitted diseases, highlighting potential public health risks.
Engonga’s downfall was also seen by many observers as politically motivated, possibly tied to internal power dynamics within the ruling Obiang family. He was viewed by some as a potential rival in a succession battle, and the scandal may have been used to tarnish his status and suppress his influence.
Once a trusted figure overseeing financial investigations, Engonga’s reputation has since been irreversibly damaged. His arrest, dismissal, and now his imprisonment mark a dramatic fall from grace for someone once considered central to Equatorial Guinea’s elite.
