Equatorial Guinea sacks anti-graft boss involved in sex scandal

November 7, 2024 3:42 pm

Baltasar Ebang Engonga

Equatorial Guinea has sacked Baltasar Engonga, its director-general of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), over his alleged involvement in a sex scandal.

According to Real Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Mbasogo, president of Equatorial Guinea, fired Engonga for “irregularities committed in the exercise of his functions, as well as inappropriate family and social conduct for the performance of public functions, as stated in Decree number 118/2024, dated November 4”.

Engonga is the son of Baltasar Engonga Edjoo, the current president of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC).

BACKGROUND

The Central African nation has been enmeshed in a sex scandal after officials, who searched the home and office of the anti-graft boss as part of an investigation into alleged fraud, uncovered about 400 explicit videos purportedly featuring him and multiple women.

Among the discoveries were tapes of Engonga seemingly having romps with his brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of the president of Equatorial Guinea, the wife of the director general of police, and about 20 wives of ministers, among others.

The now-viral videos were filmed in his office, hotels, and toilets — allegedly with the consent of participants.

The government had suspended all officials said to have had sexual relations in offices of ministries.

The government also announced plans to install surveillance cameras in all government offices.

‘WE’LL LEARN FROM THE ERROR’

In a meeting with Constancia Mangue, the first lady, Manuel Nsue, prime minister in charge of administrative coordination, said the country will learn from the error to prevent future occurrences.

“It is a situation that has been presented to us and what we must do is look for mechanisms to control it and learn from these errors, so that such events should not be reflected in our society again,” he said.

The first lady said the scandal is “distorting” the image and reputation of women in the country.