Baltasar Engonga, former Director-General of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), has been taken into custody at Malabo’s Black Beach Prison, following allegations of significant personal and professional misconduct.
The 54-year-old economist is now under intense public scrutiny after reports surfaced claiming he recorded over 400 explicit videos involving the spouses of high-profile figures in Equatorial Guinea.
The controversy began during an ongoing fraud investigation targeting Engonga, with ANIF officials conducting surprise searches of both his home and office. According to The PUNCH, these searches led to the discovery of numerous CDs allegedly containing the compromising footage. This revelation has sparked widespread anger and intense media coverage throughout the country.
In response to the scandal, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo swiftly dismissed Engonga from his position as Director-General. Presidential Decree No. 118/2024, dated November 4, stated that Engonga’s removal was due to “irregularities committed in the exercise of his functions, as well as inappropriate family and social conduct incompatible with public service duties.”
Following his dismissal, a widely shared video captured Engonga’s appearance in court, where he was restrained with handcuffs on both his hands and feet. Reports from the French blog Afrikmatin confirmed that after being formally removed from office on November 6, Engonga was subsequently shackled and transferred to Malabo Central Prison, where he now faces charges related to corruption and embezzlement.
Additionally, UGStandard, an online news platform, reported that explicit videos of Engonga had already begun circulating on social networks while he was in custody at Black Beach Prison. This detention was tied to allegations of misappropriating public funds, which state broadcaster TVGE also reported.
In a fact-check published by the fact-checking organization Dubawa, it was confirmed that Engonga is indeed detained on charges of corruption and is currently held at Black Beach Prison.
