Baltazar Engonga Face 18 Years In Prison For Embezzling Government Funds

Baltasar Ebang Engonga, the former Director-General of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), has resurfaced at the centre of a major corruption trial after spending ten months in the infamous Black Beach Prison.

Previously in the spotlight due to a widely circulated sextape scandal, Engonga appeared in court on June 30, 2025, facing serious accusations of masterminding one of the country’s largest embezzlement operations.

Prosecutors allege that between 2015 and 2020, Engonga and six other ex-government officials misappropriated millions in public funds. While serving as head of the Directorate General of Insurance and Reinsurance (DGAR), Engonga is said to have abused his authority by coordinating with a network of associates to divert state resources for personal gain.

He faces charges of embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and abuse of office.

The state is pushing for a total sentence of nearly 18 years: 8 years for embezzlement, 4 years and 5 months for illicit enrichment, and 6 years and 1 day for abuse of office. He is also facing a fine of over $1.5 million and a ban from holding public office for the duration of his sentence.

Among the co-accused are prominent figures including Carmelo Julio Matogo Ndong, Ireneo Mangue Monsuy Afana, and Florentina Iganga Iñandji, as well as three others, all alleged to be part of a deeply rooted corruption network embedded in critical state institutions.

Engonga’s defense team claims the case is politically motivated, arguing that the charges rest on weak evidence and were deliberately timed to follow the sextape scandal, aiming to further tarnish his image.

The three-day trial is ongoing, with a verdict expected in the coming days.