Baltasar Ebang Engonga, the former Equatorial Guinean official whose explicit sex tapes went viral in 2024, has been released after serving part of his prison sentence, according to videos circulating on social media this week.
Engonga, 55, was the former Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) and a nephew of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. He became internationally known in November 2024 after hundreds of intimate videos featuring him and multiple women, including the wives of government officials, were leaked online. The clips, some filmed in his office at the Ministry of Finance, sparked widespread outrage and memes across Africa and beyond.
He was dismissed from his post in November 2024 for “professional misconduct” and conduct deemed incompatible with public office. Engonga was then charged with embezzlement, abuse of office, and unlawful enrichment. In August 2025, the Bioko provincial tribunal in Malabo sentenced him to eight years in prison and fined him $220,000 for diverting public funds meant for travel and official missions to personal use. Prosecutors had initially sought an 18-year sentence.
Videos shared online this week show Engonga smiling and socializing with others, with a caption stating “Our boss is back in the office, officially.” The footage has triggered fresh reactions on social media, with some users celebrating his release and others questioning how he was freed before completing the full eight-year term. Nigerian actor Ijebu and comedian Efe Warri Boy were among those who commented on the clip.
Equatorial Guinean authorities have not issued an official statement confirming the exact terms of his release. Engonga had been held at the notorious Black Beach Prison in Malabo since September 2024. He was tried alongside six other former senior officials accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds….See More
