A major corruption scandal in Equatorial Guinea has culminated in the sentencing of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema’s nephew, Baltasar Ebang Engonga, to eight years in prison for embezzlement.
Engonga, widely known by the nickname “Bello” for his striking looks, once served as head of the National Financial Investigation Agency. A court found him guilty of diverting state funds for his own use, alongside five other officials who reportedly disguised the money as travel allowances ranging from $9,000 (£6,600) to $220,000.
The disgraced official’s downfall began last year when he was placed in detention amid allegations of channeling embezzled sums into secret Cayman Islands accounts. Soon after, his reputation imploded when dozens of sex tapes featuring him with several women, including relatives of powerful insiders, were leaked online.
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Though the authenticity of the footage was never confirmed, suspicions of deliberate sabotage spread quickly since his seized phones and computers were in the hands of security forces at the time. Many saw the leaks as a calculated move to ruin any chance Engonga had of positioning himself as a potential successor in the oil-rich nation.
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His arrest in October marked a stunning reversal for a man once tasked with investigating financial crimes such as money laundering. Instead, Engonga ended up in Malabo’s notorious Black Beach prison as his own corruption case unfolded.
Along with the eight-year sentence, the tribunal also imposed a $220,000 fine, according to supreme court press director Hilario Mitogo, who relayed the ruling in a WhatsApp message to journalists, as quoted by AFP.
President Obiang, the world’s longest-serving leader since taking power in 1979, has already named his son, Teodoro Obiang Mangue, as vice president, further sidelining Engonga after his public disgrace.
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