In Equatorial Guinea, opening of the Baltasar Ebanga Engonga trial

In Equatorial Guinea, opening of the Baltasar Ebanga Engonga trial

ByThe Mwebantu Team

On June 30, 2025, Baltasar EBANG ENGONGA, former director general of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) and influential figure of the regime, appeared before the Malabo court for the opening of its trial. Arrested in September 2024, he was prosecuted for embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment and abuse of power. He has been detained in Black Beach prison for ten months, as part of this resounding case.

The file, carried by the prosecution, is based on heavy accusations. The senior civil servant, Baltasar Ebang Engona is suspected of having used his position as head of the ANIF to transfer public funds to private accounts, and by devoting himself to opaque management of state resources. The prosecution requested up to 18 years in prison against the former director of the ANIF and some of his co -accused, including several women also implicated in this case. His trial is part of a particularly tense context, five months after the bursting of a scandal of a completely different nature, that of the massive flight of personal sextapes, showing it in intimate situations with several partners – including relatives of senior officials – sometimes even in official premises.

The viral broadcast of these videos in November 2024 had caused a real political earthquake. The authorities had immediately reacted by putting restrictions on the Internet debit to limit the propagation of images. They also announced sanctions by vice-president Teodoro Obiang Mango against several officials, and the deployment of a program of surveillance cameras in ministries and courts. Baltasar Ebang Engonga had been dismissed by presidential decree, while media and institutional pressure intensified.

47 years old, nephew of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Baltasar Ebang Engonga belongs to one of the most powerful clans in the country. Despite the severity of the crisis and generalized suspicion, it is today only judged for acts of financial corruption. Sexual elements, which have so much shaken opinion, do not appear in the indictment. He had been acquitted in 2025 in this private file because the court not having established the absence of consent.

The Mwebantu Team
The Mwebantu Team

Led by Nia, the insightful editor-in-chief, Kwame, our technology expert, and Amara, the bold field reporter, the Mwebantu team weaves the vibrant narrative of Africa every day, forging a narrative bridge between the continent and the world. Their shared passion illuminates the mission of Mwebantu News, making African voices resonate on the global stage.