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A senior government official in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Ebang Engonga, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty of embezzling public funds.
The conviction comes months after he gained global notoriety when leaked sex tapes featuring him and the wives of other government officials spread online, sparking widespread controversy and ridicule.
Hilario Mitogo, Press Director of the Supreme Court, confirmed on Wednesday that the Bioko provincial tribunal convicted Engonga of diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars earmarked for official travel expenses. In addition to the jail term, the court imposed a fine of $220,000 on the embattled official.
Engonga, who was the head of the national financial investigation agency, was tried alongside five other senior government figures accused of mismanaging state resources in the oil-rich Central African nation.
According to court records, the funds in question were meant for official government assignments but were instead diverted for personal use.
While Engonga’s financial crimes were the main focus of the trial, his case had already become infamous months earlier after several explicit videos linked to him went viral. Some of the clips were reportedly filmed inside his office at the Ministry of Finance, and their release created a nationwide scandal.
The videos not only embarrassed the government but also became a subject of mockery across Equatorial Guinea. Citizens responded with parodies, satirical songs, comic dances, and even memes mocking Engonga. At the height of the scandal, a spoof virility drug named “Balthazariem” surfaced in the country, further amplifying the public uproar.
Despite the attention surrounding the sex tapes, the court restricted its judgment to the issue of financial misconduct. In its ruling, the tribunal declared Engonga guilty of misappropriation of state funds, leading to the jail sentence and financial penalty.
This conviction marks one of the rare high-profile corruption cases in Equatorial Guinea, a country where government officials are often accused of enjoying unchecked power and access to the nation’s vast oil wealth.
Observers believe the case reflects growing internal pressure to crack down on financial irregularities and improve transparency within government institutions.
For Engonga, the fall from grace has been swift. Once a powerful figure at the forefront of financial investigations, he now finds himself at the center of public shame, his name tied not just to corruption but also to one of the most sensational scandals in the country’s recent history.
While his imprisonment might temporarily restore a sense of accountability, critics argue that the fight against corruption in Equatorial Guinea still faces significant challenges. Whether Engonga’s conviction will serve as a deterrent to other officials remains uncertain.
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