By Ghazali Ibrahim
Baltasar Engonga Ebang, former Director General of Equatorial Guinea’s National Agency for Financial Investigation, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for embezzling over 1 billion CFA francs in public funds.
The conviction, delivered on Wednesday, follows a trial in which prosecutors presented evidence of forged contracts, offshore accounts, and bank transfers.
Engonga reportedly pocketed 910 million francs, much of it spent on lavish lifestyles and women.
The scandal gained public attention in late 2024 when sex tapes featuring Engonga and over 40 women with some linked to senior government officials went viral.
The tapes triggered both moral outrage and legal scrutiny.
Engonga remained silent during much of the proceedings. The court found him guilty of embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and abuse of office.
The case is considered one of the biggest corruption scandals in Equatorial Guinea’s recent history.
Authorities say his co-conspirators will face sentencing soon.
Engonga is the son of CEMAC chairman Baltasar Engonga Edjo and is related to longest serving President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
