By Alex Ababio
A provincial court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced Baltasar Ebang Engonga, the former director of the country’s national financial investigation agency, to eight years in prison after finding him guilty of embezzlement.
The ruling, delivered by the Bioko provincial tribunal, was announced on Wednesday by Supreme Court communications director Hilario Mitogo via WhatsApp.
Misappropriation of Travel Expenditures
According to court findings, Engonga — also known by the nickname “Bello” — illegally diverted funds from business travel allowances for personal use.
In addition to his prison term, the court imposed a $220,000 fine on the disgraced official. He was prosecuted alongside five other high-ranking government figures, all accused of misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds.
Scandal Fueled by Viral Sex Tapes
Engonga’s case drew international headlines last November when sex tapes of the married official with wives of other senior politicians circulated widely online. Some of the videos, according to reports, were allegedly filmed inside his finance ministry office.
The scandal triggered widespread public ridicule and inspired satirical parodies, including the mocking release of a fake virility drug branded “Balthazariem.”
Court Brings Case to a Close
Mitogo confirmed on Wednesday that the high-profile case had finally concluded, with the provincial court handing down its final judgment.
The conviction marks one of the most significant corruption cases in recent years in the oil-rich Central African nation, where government officials have long been accused of diverting public funds for personal enrichment.