Baltasar Engonga risks 18-year jail term as corruption trial begins

Viral personality, Baltasar Ebang Engonga appears in a Malabo court after spending ten months in detention, as his high-profile corruption trial continues.

The former director-general of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) had been detained at Black Beach Prison since September 2024.

He is facing embezzlement charges alongside several other former senior officials.

During Monday’s court proceedings, prosecutors detailed what they described as a sophisticated scheme to divert public funds for personal gain.

The scheme was allegedly coordinated by Engonga during his tenure as head of the Directorate General of Insurance and Reinsurance (DGAR) from 2015 to 2020, in collaboration with

The news outlet, Le Bled Parle reports that the national prosecutor has called for a notably severe punishment: 8 years in prison for embezzling public funds, 4 years and 5 months for unlawful enrichment, and 6 years and 1 day for abuse of power.

In addition to the prison terms, the charges include a recommended fine of over 910 million CFA francs (approximately 1.5 million USD) and a prohibition from holding any public office throughout the sentence period.

Engonga is not the only high-ranking official facing trial. Six other former senior government officials, among them Carmelo Julio Matogo Ndong, Ireneo Mangue Monsuy Afana, and Florentina Iganga Iñandji, are also being prosecuted for allegedly misappropriating public funds in what authorities describe as a vast network of financial corruption.

The trial is expected to last three days, with proceedings continuing this week as defence attorneys present their arguments.

Engonga’s legal team has denounced the charges as politically driven and questioned the reliability of the prosecution’s evidence.

The court is anticipated to announce its verdict in the coming days, bringing the high-profile corruption trial closer to its conclusion.