- Safiu Kehinde
Equatorial Guinea Supreme Court has acquitted and discharged Baltasar Egonga of charges filed against him, claiming the case lacks evidence.
The apex court had, in the ruling held yesterday, acquitted the former Head of the country’s National Financial Investigation Agency, dismissing his case which brooded over his leaked 400 sex tapes.
The case gained international attention after videos of Engonga surfaced online.
While the court emphasized that medical tests proved he had not transmitted any sexually transmitted diseases to those involved, it also held that the women involved in the videos were all consenting adults.
Meanwhile, Engonga has vowed to take legal action against individuals responsible for leaking the videos.
He described the dissemination as a grave violation of his privacy, highlighting the emotional distress it caused his family, particularly his wife.
Prior to his arrest, Egonga was detained over allegations of embezzling substantial state funds and hiding them in offshore accounts. He has not publicly addressed these accusations.
Following his arrest, Mr. Engonga was imprisoned in Malabo’s notorious Black Beach prison, known for allegations of severe mistreatment of government opponents.
Authorities seized his phones and computers during the investigation. Shortly after, intimate videos began appearing online, adding a sensational dimension to an already complex case.