Baltasar Ebang Engonga, the former financial crimes chief in Equatorial Guinea whose leaked sex tapes shocked Africa last year, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzlement.
According to BBC, Engonga, 41, nicknamed “Bello,” who was once head of the National Financial Investigation Agency, has also been fined USD220,000.
Engonga who was first arrested in October 2024 on suspicion of moving millions into secret Cayman Islands accounts, was alongside five other officials convicted and jailed on Wednesday this week.
Engonga, and his accomplices have been convicted of disguising public money as travel allowances ranging from $9,000 to $220,000.
Last year, dozens of intimate videos surfaced online showing Engonga with women linked to powerful families, a scandal that destroyed his public image and ended any political ambitions.
Although the authenticity of the videos has never been verified, their sudden appearance after security forces seized his devices led many to suspect an orchestrated leak.
Once seen as a contender for higher office, Engonga is now serving time in Black Beach prison, infamous for its harsh conditions. His fall is widely viewed as both a corruption crackdown and a reflection of rivalries within President Teodoro Obiang Nguema’s ruling circle.
