Baltasar Ebang Engonga, the former head of Equatorial Guinea’s national financial investigation agency, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzlement.
The Bioko provincial tribunal found Engonga, popularly known as “Bello”, guilty of diverting professional travel funds for personal use. According to Reuters, Supreme Court press director Hilario Mitogo confirmed the ruling, adding that Engonga must also pay a fine of $220,000 (KSh 28.5 million).
Viral scandal before sentencing
Engonga shot to global infamy last November after sex tapes featuring him and other officials’ wives leaked online while he was in pre-trial detention. The scandal sparked viral memes and parody content, including a spoof drug called “Balthazariem.”
Other officials also implicated
Engonga and five other senior officials were accused of misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars in the oil-rich Central African nation. The case has drawn regional and international attention due to Equatorial Guinea’s long-standing issues with corruption and governance.
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