The embattled former Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Engonga, is set to face 18 years imprisonment after appearing in the Malabo court for his corruption trial, even as the explosive sextape scandal involving him continues to stir national outrage.
Engonga had been detained at Black Beach Prison since September 2024 following the corruption probe, separate from the over 400 sextapes involving high-profile women uncovered in his office and house.
He is facing embezzlement charges alongside several other former senior officials.
During Monday’s court proceedings, prosecutors detailed what they described as a sophisticated scheme to divert public funds for personal gain.
The scheme was allegedly coordinated by Engonga during his tenure as head of the Directorate General of Insurance and Reinsurance from 2015 to 2020.
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A news platform, Le Bled Parle, reports that the national prosecutor has called for a notably severe punishment: eight years in prison for embezzling public funds, four years and five months for unlawful enrichment, and six years and one day for abuse of power.
In addition to the prison terms, the charges include a recommended fine of over 910 million CFA francs (approximately $1.5 million) and a prohibition on holding any public office throughout the sentence period.
“The state has been robbed and the people betrayed,” said the prosecutor. “We will not allow this level of impunity to go unpunished.”
The 54-year-old Economist is not the only high-ranking official facing trial.
Six other former senior government officials are facing trial.
Others, such as Carmelo Julio Matogo Ndong, Ireneo Mangue Monsuy Afana, and Florentina Iganga Iñandji, are also being prosecuted for allegedly misappropriating public funds in what authorities describe as a vast network of financial corruption.
The trial is expected to last three days, with proceedings continuing this week as defence attorneys present their arguments.
Recall that in the course of the fraud investigation, Engonga was allegedly caught with over 400 sextapes of the wives of notable people in the country.
The search of his house and office on impromptu notice by ANIF officials led to the discovery of several CDs that later revealed his sexcapades with different married women.
The videos reportedly feature encounters with high-profile individuals, including his brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of the President of Equatorial Guinea, the wife of the Director General of Police, and approximately 20 of the country’s ministers’ wives, among others.
The footage, discovered in his personal office, was said to have been recorded with consent and has since been leaked online, causing a media uproar.
“This is not just a corruption trial; this is a moral earthquake shaking the pillars of our political elite,” a political analyst in Malabo told Le Bled Parle.
