Court sentences Baltasar Engonga to 8 years in prison

A court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a former senior government official, to eight years in prison for embezzlement.

Engonga, who previously headed the national financial investigation agency, was convicted by the Bioko provincial tribunal of diverting public funds meant for official travel to personal use. He was also fined $220,000.

According to Hilario Mitogo, press director of the Supreme Court, five other senior officials were tried alongside Engonga over the misappropriation of hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funds.

Engonga drew public attention late last year after sex tapes involving him and several women, including the spouses of other officials, surfaced on social media while he was under investigation. He was arrested in November as the scandal fueled outrage in the country.

The sentencing marks one of the most high-profile corruption cases in Equatorial Guinea, where government officials have often faced accusations of mismanagement of public resources.