A court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a former senior government official, to eight years in prison for embezzlement.
The Bioko Provincial Tribunal found Engonga, who previously headed the national financial investigation agency, guilty of diverting public funds allocated for official travel to personal use.
According to Hilario Mitogo, Press Director of the country’s Supreme Court, Engonga was convicted alongside five other senior officials for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Scandal and Conviction
Engonga, popularly known as “Bello,” attracted global attention in November 2024 when explicit videos involving him and the wives of other officials surfaced online. Some of the videos were allegedly recorded in his Ministry of Finance office, sparking outrage and widespread ridicule.
The scandal fueled a wave of social media parodies, including songs, dances, and memes that mocked him with references to a spoof drug called “Balthazariem.”
Despite the controversy, his conviction centered solely on financial crimes.
Sentence and Fine
In addition to the prison term, the court ordered Engonga to pay a $220,000 fine.
His case formed part of a broader high-profile anti-corruption probe in the oil-rich nation, where senior officials have frequently faced accusations of mismanagement and graft.
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