Ex-E’Guinea Anti-Graft Boss With Over 400 Sextapes Faces 18-Year Jail Sentence

The former Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Engonga, risks spending the next 18 years behind bars after appearing before a Malabo court to answer corruption charges.

Engonga, who has been in detention at Black Beach Prison since September 2024 due to the ongoing probe, is also linked to over 400 explicit videos found in his residence and office, although these are not directly tied to his corruption charges.

He stands accused of embezzling public funds alongside other ex-senior officials. During the court hearing on Monday, prosecutors outlined what they called an elaborate plot masterminded by Engonga to siphon state resources during his time as head of the Directorate General of Insurance and Reinsurance between 2015 and 2020.

According to reports by Le Bled Parle, the national prosecutor recommended a tough sentence comprising eight years for embezzlement, four years and five months for illicit enrichment, and six years and one day for abuse of office.

Besides imprisonment, the court is considering a fine exceeding 910 million CFA francs (around $1.5 million) and a ban on holding public office throughout the period.

The 54-year-old economist is not alone in the dock. Six other high-ranking officials, including Carmelo Julio Matogo Ndong, Ireneo Mangue Monsuy Afana, and Florentina Iganga Iñandji, are facing similar charges for their roles in what has been described as a sprawling corruption network.

The trial, expected to span three days, continues this week with the defence presenting its case.

Meanwhile, the scandal deepened after investigators stumbled upon more than 400 sextapes during a surprise search of Engonga’s premises. The explicit content, discovered on CDs in his personal office, reportedly features numerous high-profile women, including the sister of the President, wives of ministers, the spouse of the Director General of Police, his cousin, and even his brother’s wife.

The videos, said to have been recorded with the women’s consent, have since leaked online, triggering widespread public outrage.