A court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced senior government official, Baltasar Ebang Engonga, to eight years in prison over embezzlement.
According to Hilario Mitogo, Press Director of the Supreme Court, the Bioko provincial tribunal found Engonga guilty of diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds allocated for official travel.
In addition to the prison term, he was fined $220,000.
Engonga, who previously headed the national financial investigation agency, was prosecuted alongside five other high-ranking officials accused of misappropriating state resources in the oil-rich Central African country.
NPO Report recalls that he drew global attention in November 2024 when his sex tapes involving the spouses of some other government officials circulated online, some allegedly filmed inside the Ministry of Finance offices.
The scandal sparked widespread ridicule and social media mockery, inspiring songs, parodies, and memes.
Despite the uproar, the court’s ruling focused strictly on financial crimes, handing down the prison term and financial penalty.