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Equatorial Guinea President’s Nephew Jailed for Embezzlement Amid Sex Tape Scandal
A nephew of Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has been sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzling public funds, following a high-profile scandal that rocked the country’s political elite.
Baltasar Ebang Engonga, the former head of the National Financial Investigation Agency, was convicted alongside five other officials for diverting large sums of government money for personal use. The funds, claimed as travel allowances, ranged from $9,000 to $220,000, according to court findings.
Engonga, nicknamed “Bello” for his striking appearance, made international headlines last year when dozens of sex tapes surfaced online, showing him with multiple women—many of whom were reportedly connected to powerful figures within the ruling elite. The leak occurred while he was in detention, accused of hiding embezzled funds in secret accounts in the Cayman Islands.
The scandal, which included unverified but widely circulated videos, is widely seen as a calculated move to derail Engonga’s political ambitions. Analysts have speculated that the leaks were orchestrated by rivals within the regime to eliminate him as a potential successor to President Obiang, who has ruled the oil-rich central African nation since 1979. His son, Teodoro Obiang Mangue, currently serves as vice president and is widely expected to succeed him.
Before his fall from grace, Engonga led investigations into money laundering and financial crimes. His arrest in October 2024 landed him in Malabo’s notorious Black Beach prison. Soon after, his confiscated phones and computers became the source of the explosive videos, raising suspicion that state security forces were behind the leak.
In addition to his prison sentence, Engonga was fined $220,000, according to Supreme Court press director Hilario Mitogo, as reported by AFP.
The case underscores the power struggles simmering beneath Equatorial Guinea’s long-standing authoritarian rule, and the lengths to which rivals may go to maintain their grip on power.
