Equatorial Guinea’s Bioko Provincial Tribunal has handed down an eight-year prison sentence to Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a high-ranking government official and former head of the national financial investigation agency, for embezzling state funds. Engonga was convicted of diverting funds earmarked for professional travel expenses for his personal use.
The tribunal also imposed a fine of $220,000 on Engonga. According to Hilario Mitogo, press director of the Supreme Court, the conviction stems from Engonga’s misuse of state funds intended for professional travel expenses.
Engonga, nicknamed “Bello,” was tried alongside five other senior officials accused of misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the oil-rich Central African nation. The case drew widespread attention after explicit videos featuring Engonga and the wives of other officials surfaced online while he was in detention awaiting trial. Some clips were reportedly filmed inside his office at the Ministry of Finance, sparking outrage and ridicule.
Engonga’s legal team claimed the charges were politically motivated and questioned the credibility of the prosecution’s evidence. However, the court upheld the sentence, marking a significant development in the country’s efforts to combat corruption.