Baltasar Engonga,the former head of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency, is facing up to 18 years in prison as his trial continues in a Malabo court over serious corruption allegations.
Engonga has been in detention at Black Beach Prison since September 2024. His arrest stems from a financial misconduct investigation, and is unrelated to the discovery of over 400 explicit videos reportedly found in his home and office.
He is accused of misappropriating public funds, alongside several former government officials. According to prosecutors, Engonga devised an elaborate scheme to divert state resources for personal use during his tenure as Director of Insurance and Reinsurance from 2015 to 2020.
Citing local media reports, the prosecution has recommended a sentence that includes eight years for embezzlement, four years and five months for illicit wealth accumulation, and just over six years for abuse of power. In addition, he may face a fine exceeding 910 million CFA francs (around $1.5 million) and a ban from holding public office throughout the sentencing period.
The 54-year-old economist is not alone in the dock. Others, including Carmelo Julio Matogo Ndong, Ireneo Mangue Monsuy Afana, and Florentina Iganga Iñandji, are also being prosecuted for allegedly playing key roles in a broader corruption network.
The court proceedings, expected to last three days, resumed this week with defense attorneys beginning to argue their case.
In the course of the corruption probe, investigators reportedly uncovered hundreds of explicit videos stored in CDs during unannounced searches of Engonga’s residence and workplace. These videos, said to be recorded with consent, allegedly feature sexual encounters with the spouses of influential figures, including the wife of the national police chief, a relative of the president, and several ministers’ wives. Some reports also claim family members, such as his cousin and his brother’s wife, appeared in the recordings.
The release of the videos online has caused a wave of public backlash, although the scandal is not officially included in the charges he currently faces in court.
