Remember Baltasar Ebang Engonga?
The Equatorial Guinean who went viral in November after explicit sex videos involving him and multiple women surfaced online has returned to the spotlight, this time over allegations of financial fraud.
On 7 November 2024, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Engonga was dismissed as Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) for alleged professional misconduct, alongside family and social behaviour considered incompatible with the expectations of public office.
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According to Revista Real Equatorial Guinea (RREG), Mr Engonga has been in prison on embezzlement charges since his dismissal.
Cameroon Concord added that the trial of Mr Engonga and others was linked to a corruption scheme within the Ministry of Finance, which commenced on 30 June at the Bioko Norte Provincial Court in Malabo.
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Other defendants named in the case include Carmelo Julio Matogo Ndong, Ireneo Mangué Monsuy Afana, Florentina Iganga Inandji, Saturnina Sereijo Esua, Baltasar Ebang Engonga Alu, Rubén Félix Osa Nzang, Rolando Asumu Ndong Oye, and Juan Manuel Afugu Mbomio.
They are accused of embezzling public funds, misappropriating state resources, and abusing their positions within the government of Equatorial Guinea.
18 years in prison
Investigations conducted by the General Directorate of Banking, Insurance, and Reinsurance of the Ministry of Finance revealed that Nzang, Engonga, and Afana, in collaboration with officials including Oye, Ndong, Inandji, and Esua, allegedly diverted over 1 billion XAF over 12 years.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the defendants are accused of using funds from contributions made to Equatorial Guinean insurance companies for personal gain.
In court, the prosecution requested that Mr Engonga be sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds, six years and one day for abuse of office, and four years and five months for illicit enrichment.
Regarding civil liability, the prosecutor’s office demanded that Mr Engonga compensate the state for the damages caused by paying 910,702,818 XAF.
No allocation
Mr Engonga, while appearing in court for trial on 1 July, informed the court that during his tenure, his office was not allocated budgetary funds within the ministry’s budget.
He explained that the budget only provided the ministry’s travel expenses, with no specific allocation for the directorate-general.
“Insurance directorates are autonomous entities,’ he noted.
Mr Engonga also admitted to diverting insurance contributions to finance management trips.
He explained that he occasionally had to seek financial support from the Ministry of Finance, as insurance companies often failed to remit their contributions on time, leaving management struggling to meet its expenses and obligations.
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“The insurance companies had payment difficulties, and when a trip had to be made, we turned to the government,” he explained.
He explained that the Insurance and Reinsurance Division alone could undertake nearly 25 trips per year, in addition to the official trips carried out by the Banking Division.
This, he noted, was why there was a recurring need to request additional funds.
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