Baltasar Ebang Engonga, once one of the most powerful figures in Equatorial Guinea’s financial sector and a nephew of long-serving President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzlement.
The ruling was delivered this week by a provincial court in Bioko after months of high-profile investigations into the former anti-graft agency chief.
Engonga, popularly known by his nickname “Bello” because of his polished looks and flashy lifestyle, first came under scrutiny in 2024 when prosecutors accused him of syphoning public funds into offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands.
But the corruption probe quickly exploded into an international scandal when hundreds of explicit sex videos surfaced, showing him with multiple women — including wives and close relatives of senior government officials.
A scandal of historic proportions
In October 2024, Engonga was arrested as investigators raided his office and residence. What they uncovered stunned even seasoned security officers: over 400 videos, some allegedly recorded in his government office and luxury hotels, others in more bizarre settings like riverbanks. The leaks went viral, dominating social media in Equatorial Guinea and embarrassing the ruling elite.
The government moved quickly to contain the fallout. Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue — himself no stranger to scrutiny over wealth and corruption allegations — announced emergency measures, including surveillance cameras in ministries and strict bans on inappropriate conduct in public offices. The Attorney General even suggested Engonga could face additional prosecution if it was proven he had knowingly spread sexually transmitted infections.
Despite the moral outrage, whispers in Malabo hinted at something deeper — that the sex-tape leak may have been part of a power struggle inside the Obiang dynasty, which has ruled the oil-rich Central African nation for more than four decades. The timing of the leaks, just as investigators were closing in on financial crimes, fuelled speculation that Engonga had fallen out of favour with the ruling inner circle.
The trial and conviction
By mid-2025, Engonga stood trial on multiple charges: embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and abuse of power. Prosecutors alleged he had diverted millions of dollars in public funds during his time as head of the National Agency for Financial Investigation, living far beyond his official salary.
The prosecution sought an 18-year composite sentence:
8 years for embezzlement,
4 years and 5 months for illicit enrichment, and
6 years and 1 day for abuse of authority,
along with heavy fines and a lifetime ban from public office.
In the end, the court convicted him solely on the embezzlement charge, handing down an eight-year term and a fine equivalent to roughly $220,000 (125.4 million CFA francs). While far less than prosecutors demanded, the verdict still represents a rare instance of a senior member of the Obiang family facing real jail time.
Story by David Owusu Ansah
