Nephew of President Teodoro Obiang Jailed Over Embezzlement Scandal
Baltasar Ebang Engonga, nephew of Equatorial Guinea’s long-serving President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzlement.
Engonga, once head of the National Financial Investigation Agency, was accused of diverting public funds for personal use. This sentencing comes after a turbulent year that saw him at the center of a sex tape scandal, further tarnishing his reputation and political future.
Popularly known as “Bello” for his striking looks, Engonga’s downfall was marked by leaked videos showing him in intimate encounters with women connected to the political elite. The tapes surfaced while he was in detention over allegations of secretly depositing embezzled funds into Cayman Islands accounts.
A court found him guilty alongside five other officials, who misappropriated sums ranging from $9,000 to $220,000. Engonga, who once investigated financial crimes himself, was instead sent to the infamous Black Beach prison in Malabo.
he scandal and conviction are widely viewed as a move to block any chances of Engonga rising politically, with President Obiang having already positioned his son, Teodoro Obiang Mangue, as vice president. Engonga has now been fined $220,000 in addition to his prison term, according to a statement from the Supreme Court press director. His arrest and subsequent public humiliation highlight the internal power struggles within the ruling elite of the oil-rich Central African state.
