Baltasar Ebang Engonga has been dismissed from his position as Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) in Equatorial Guinea after a video showing him engaging in sexual activities went viral on social media, reported BBC.
The government suspended Engonga in response to the leaked video, which reportedly includes him with over 400 women, some of whom are linked to prominent individuals in Equatorial Guinea.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo ordered Engonga’s dismissal, which was formalised through a decree signed by the president, who is also Engonga’s great-uncle.
Vice-President Teodoro Mangue announced that severe measures would be taken against officials involved in sexual activities in government offices.
Following Engonga’s unrelated arrest on graft charges, the circulation of “sex tapes” prompted the vice president to instruct regulators and internet service providers to block these videos.
Cameras have been installed in government offices, and all officials involved in the scandal have been suspended.
The attorney general indicated that while the recordings were consensual, Engonga could face prosecution for “public health crimes” if he has a sexually transmitted infection.
First Lady Constancia Mangue Obiang expressed her anger over the incident, describing it as “embarrassing.” She wrote on Facebook:
What happened is a social scandal that has already crossed our borders and affects the image and reputation of the Guineo-Ecuadorian woman.
Baltasar Ebang Engonga, 54, is a prominent political figure and the son of Baltasar Engonga Edjo, the current president of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC).
He has six children and began his political career as Minister of Education in 1998.
Engonga is the son of Baltasar Engonga Edjo, the current president of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC).