A court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a senior official and former head of the national financial investigation agency, to eight years in prison for embezzlement. He has also been fined $220,000.
The Bioko provincial tribunal found Engonga guilty of diverting funds from professional travel expenses for personal use, according to Supreme Court press director Hilario Mitogo, who confirmed the ruling via WhatsApp on Wednesday.
Baltasar Ebang Engonga Avomo (born 15 March 1978) was an Equatoguinean former public official who was serving as the head of the National Agency for Financial Investigation (ANIF).
His role involved managing financial regulations and investigations focused on preventing financial crimes, such as money laundering and corruption, in compliance with both national and international financial standards.
Ebang’s work at ANIF placed him at the center of Equatorial Guinea’s efforts to maintain financial oversight and transparency. His responsibilities included directing investigative procedures related to financial irregularities and enforcing relevant financial laws. He studied finance and economics at the University of Malabo.
In 2024, Ebang faced legal scrutiny and public backlash following allegations of corruption and misconduct. Reports surfaced about the discovery of explicit videos involving women linked to high-profile individuals on his personal computer, which triggered an investigation by local authorities.
On 8 November 2024, the Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang put into effect Decree No. 118, which criminally investigated and removed Ebang from his appointment as Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF
