Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a great-nephew of Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang, has been acquitted by the Supreme Court following a highly publicized case involving compromising videos that surfaced online.
The court dismissed the case against Engonga, citing a lack of evidence and confirming that all individuals featured in the videos were consenting adults.
The ruling also emphasized that medical tests cleared Engonga of transmitting any sexually transmitted diseases to those involved, further affirming his innocence.
The case attracted global attention after the videos went viral. Engonga, who previously served as the head of the National Financial Investigation Agency, described the incident as a grave violation of his privacy and announced plans to pursue legal action against those responsible for leaking the footage.
A surprising twist emerged during the trial as several married men, whose wives were featured in the videos, expressed gratitude to Engonga.
They claimed the exposure of the videos revealed hidden aspects of their marital lives, prompting some to pursue divorce.
The case has reignited discussions on consent, privacy, and digital accountability in the modern era. Experts and activists have called for stricter regulations to prevent the unauthorized dissemination of intimate content online.
Despite his acquittal in the video scandal, Engonga faces separate allegations of embezzlement. He was arrested on October 25 for allegedly siphoning substantial state funds into offshore accounts.
While detained at Malabo’s notorious Black Beach prison—known for reports of severe mistreatment—authorities seized his phones and computers, leading to the leak of the videos.
Engonga has yet to publicly address the embezzlement accusations, leaving questions about his future in public service.