The government of Equatorial Guinea has dismissed Baltasar Engonga, the Director-General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), following an unfolding sex scandal that has rocked the nation.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo ordered Engonga’s removal on November 4, citing “irregularities committed in the exercise of his functions, as well as inappropriate family and social conduct incompatible with public office,” as detailed in Decree No. 118/2024.
Engonga, who is the son of Baltasar Engonga Edjo, the current president of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), has come under intense scrutiny after an investigation into alleged fraud revealed over 400 explicit videos reportedly featuring him with numerous women, including high-profile individuals. Authorities reportedly uncovered the videos while searching Engonga’s home and office, a discovery that has deeply shaken the Central African country.
The tapes, allegedly filmed in his office, hotels, and even restrooms, show Engonga in compromising situations with multiple women, including his brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of President Obiang, the wife of the Director General of Police, and approximately 20 wives of government ministers. The government claims that all encounters were consensual and involved willing participants.
In response to the scandal, the government suspended all officials found to have engaged in intimate acts within ministry offices. Additionally, measures are being implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future, including plans to install surveillance cameras in government offices.
Prime Minister Manuel Nsue, in a recent meeting with First Lady Constancia Mangue, expressed the administration’s commitment to address the situation. “This situation demands that we put mechanisms in place to prevent future occurrences and learn from these errors so that such acts do not impact our society again,” he stated. The First Lady echoed his sentiments, stressing that the scandal is damaging the image and dignity of Equatoguinean women.
