Baltasar Engonga, the former Director General of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency, is facing an 18-year prison sentence for corruption charges.
Engonga is accused of embezzlement, unlawful enrichment, and abuse of power, with prosecutors alleging he diverted public funds during his tenure as head of the Directorate General of Insurance and Reinsurance from 2015 to 2020.
The proposed sentence includes 8 years for embezzlement, 4 years and 5 months for unlawful enrichment, and 6 years and 1 day for abuse of power, totaling 18 years.
Engonga may also face a fine of over 910 million CFA francs (approximately $1.5 million) and be barred from holding public office during his sentence.
Engonga is embroiled in a separate scandal involving over 400 explicit videos featuring high-profile women, including ministers’ wives and other notable individuals. These videos were discovered in his office and home during an investigation.
Six other former senior government officials are facing trial for alleged financial misconduct, including Carmelo Julio Matogo Ndong, Ireneo Mangue Monsuy Afana, and Florentina Iganga Iñandji.
The trial is expected to last three days, with defense attorneys presenting their arguments this week.
