A senior government official in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Ebang Engonga, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzling public funds. Engonga, who was the former head of the national financial investigation agency, was convicted for diverting money intended for professional travel expenses into personal use.
The case, which has caught international attention, also saw Engonga, along with five other senior officials, accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars in the oil-rich country. According to the director of the Supreme Court’s press office, Hilario Mitogo, the sentence was handed down by the Bioko provincial tribunal.
Engonga’s downfall, however, was further sensationalized when intimate sex tapes featuring him with the wives of other officials were leaked online in November 2024. The videos, some of which were allegedly filmed in his office at the Ministry of Finance, went viral on social media, further tarnishing his reputation. His involvement in the embezzlement case was already under investigation when the scandal broke, drawing widespread public scrutiny.
Known by the nickname “Bello,” Engonga’s case has been the subject of much online parody, with viral songs, dances, and even a spoof virility drug dubbed “Balthazariem” circulating on social media.
In addition to the prison sentence, Engonga was fined $220,000. This latest development in the corruption case highlights the ongoing challenges Equatorial Guinea faces in holding its officials accountable amidst a backdrop of public scandals and widespread corruption.
