Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

Equatorial Guinea - The former Director-General of Equatorial Guinea’s National Agency for Financial Investigation (ANIF), Baltasar Engonga Ebang, faces an 18-year jail sentence over alleged financial misconduct.

The trial involves several officials of a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Finance.

Baltasar is being accused of embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and abuse of power in his role at the agency.

As reported by Daily Trust, the trial began Monday, June 30, 2025..

Baltasar is accused of having misappropriated more than one billion CFA francs, approximately 1.67 million US dollars.

The prosecution is demanding eight years of imprisonment for embezzlement, four years and five months for illicit enrichment, and six years and one day for abuse of power.

They are also calling for a fine of 910 million CFA francs and a ban on Ebang from holding public office during his sentence.

According to Premium Times, the prosecution requested that Baltasar 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

But the defense rejected all accusations against Ebang as well as other officials implicated in the case, maintaining that the charges were unfounded.

Baltasar told the court that during his tenure, his office was not allocated budgetary funds within the Ministry of Finance’s budget.

The defendant, who came to the limelight after his explicit videos became viral, explained that the budget only provided the ministry’s travel expenses, with no specific allocation for the directorate-general.

“Insurance directorates are autonomous entities."

Recall that Baltasar landed himself in Malabo’s Black Beach Prison after recording over 400 sex tapes involving the wives of prominent figures.

The former Director-General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) was transferred to prison after he was removed from office.

54-year-old Engonga was chained and handcuffed on both hands and legs during a court appearance on Friday, November 8, 2024.

In a previous story, Legit.ng reported that the Equatorial Guinea government took action after the sex tapes of Baltasar Engonga went viral.

Vice President Teodoro Mangue ordered regulators and internet service providers to block the circulation of the viral videos.

Mangue also ordered the installation of cameras in the offices of all state officials while urging officials to stop unlawful behaviour.

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Source: Legit.ng