A court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced former senior government official Baltasar Ebang Engonga to eight years in prison for embezzlement, following a scandal involving leaked sex tapes that drew international attention.
Engonga, who previously headed the country’s National Financial Investigation Agency, was convicted by the Bioko Provincial Tribunal for diverting large sums of public funds, specifically, professional travel expenses for personal use.
According to Hilario Mitogo, Director of Press at the Supreme Court, the charges involved hundreds of thousands of dollars, and five other senior officials were also implicated in the financial misconduct.
The disgraced official, popularly known as “Bello,” became a viral sensation in November 2024 after explicit sex tapes, allegedly involving over 40 women, including wives of other officials, were leaked online.
Many of the videos were reportedly filmed inside his office at the Ministry of Finance.
The scandal sparked widespread online reactions, including spoof songs, memes, dances, and even mock ads for a fictional enhancement pill named “Balthazariem.”
Despite the media frenzy, authorities proceeded with the financial crimes trial.
The court ultimately imposed a $220,000 fine in addition to Engonga’s eight-year prison sentence.
