Baltasar Ebang Engonga Jailed 8 Years for Embezzlement After S3x Tape Scandal

A nephew of Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Baltasar Ebang Engonga, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzlement, a court has ruled.

Engonga, the former head of the National Financial Investigation Agency, was found guilty of diverting public funds for personal use. He was convicted alongside five other officials accused of falsely claiming travel allowances ranging between $9,000 (£6,600) and $220,000.

Nicknamed “Bello” for his good looks, came to the limelight in 2024 when leaked sex tapes surfaced online showing him with several women, including relatives of political elites. The scandal erupted while he was already under detention, accused of depositing embezzled funds into secret Cayman Islands accounts.

The leaks, widely believed to have come from security forces who had seized his phones and computers, were seen by many as an attempt to destroy his political ambitions. Analysts suggested the scandal was orchestrated to prevent him from positioning himself as a possible successor in the oil-rich state.

Engonga’s uncle, President Obiang, has ruled since 1979, making him the world’s longest-serving leader, while his son, Teodoro Obiang Mangue, is vice president.

Alongside his prison sentence, Engonga has been fined $220,000, according to the Supreme Court’s press director, Hilario Mitogo, quoted by AFP.

BBC