By Peter Omopo
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | July 3, 2025 — Baltasar Engonga, the former Director-General of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency, is facing up to 18 years in prison after prosecutors laid out a wide-ranging corruption case against him in a Malabo court this week.
Engonga, 54, who has been held at the notorious Black Beach Prison since September 2024, is accused of embezzling public funds, unlawful enrichment, and abuse of power during his tenure as head of the Directorate General of Insurance and Reinsurance from 2015 to 2020.
Court documents presented on Monday described what authorities called a “sophisticated financial diversion scheme,” allegedly orchestrated by Engonga in collaboration with other former senior officials. Prosecutors are seeking multiple sentences: eight years for embezzlement, four years and five months for unlawful enrichment, and six years and one day for abuse of office.
Alongside the proposed jail term, the prosecution is also demanding a fine exceeding 910 million CFA francs (approximately $1.5 million), and a ban on Engonga holding any public office for the duration of the sentence.
In a dramatic turn during the investigation, authorities reportedly discovered more than 400 sexually explicit videotapes featuring prominent women in Engonga’s residence and office. While officials say the recordings are unrelated to the financial charges, the revelations have intensified public interest and added to the scandal surrounding the case.
Engonga, a well-known economist, is one of several high-profile figures currently under trial in the government’s sweeping anti-corruption drive. The proceedings are being closely watched across the region as a litmus test of the country’s commitment to institutional accountability.
