Equatorial Guinea official arrested over 400 sextapes with VIPs’ wives, sisters
Baltasar Engonga, the director general of Equatorial Guinea's National Financial Investigation Agency, was detained on suspicion of recording more than 400 sextapes of prominent national figures' spouses.
The incident started when ANIF investigators conducted an unexpected search of the 54-year-old Economist's home and office as part of a fraud probe. They discovered multiple CDs that eventually exposed his sexcapades with various married ladies.
According to reports, the films feature interactions with prominent people, including the wives of his brother, cousin, the president of Equatorial Guinea's sister, the director general of police, and roughly 20 of the nation's ministries.
The video, which was found in his private office, was allegedly taken with his permission and has since gone viral online, sparking a media frenzy.
According to a report by Ahora EG, a local media outlet, Engonga has been embroiled in a sexual scandal that is unprecedented in Equatorial Guinea's history since last October.
The former ANIF DG, also known as "Bello," had sex with a number of women, some of whom were married, and documented these private moments on camera.
The most startling aspect, according to the article, is that several of the scenes were set in his workplace, including one when he is shown sleeping with a lady next to the flag. The Executive has said that the action is a direct reaction to the behaviours that have impacted the nation's image in light of this sexual scandal.
In order to foster a more respectful workplace in Equatorial Guinea's public and private administrations, the government intends to set a clear precedence for the behaviour expected of public officials with these new regulations. For several days now, sexual movies of Baltasar EBANG ENGONGA, popularly known as "Bello," in which he serves as the Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) and is currently imprisoned for alleged corruption issues.
“Baltasar EBANG ENGONGA is said to have filmed these scenes with the consent of the women themselves, which exonerates him from a possible crime of violation of integrity. In the videos, he is seen having unprotected sex with several women, including those married to powerful and well-known people in the country, but also with the most “diva and influential” single women in Equatorial Guinea. Some scenes take place in hotel rooms, houses, even in the protagonist’s office at the Ministry of Finance,” it added.
Speaking about the widely shared sextapes, the nation's attorney general, Nzang Nguema, has emphasised that, despite the fact that the pictures appear to show that the women were not coerced into participating, the law does not view consensual sexual relations as illegal unless coercion or violence is demonstrated. This emphasises how crucial it is for victims to disclose instances of sexual abuse or assault.
"The possibility of a contagious disease being spread through these sexual interactions makes the situation even more critical," Nguema added, highlighting the danger not just for the women engaged but also for their partners and the larger community.
Additionally, he emphasised that victims of rape or assault bear the responsibility of coming forward, underscoring the necessity for an environment where people feel safe and supported to report such incidents.
Reacting to the development on Monday, Equatorial Guinea has decided to take action by immediately suspending all officials who have had sexual relations in the offices of the country’s ministries.
The government claimed that the decision was part of its “zero tolerance” policy towards behaviour that compromises the integrity of the public service.
Nguema Mangue, the vice president of the republic, has noted that these actions are a blatant breach of the Public Ethics Law and the Code of Conduct.
He stressed in his article on X that "ethics and respect are fundamental in our Administration" and that careless behaviour that jeopardises public confidence would not be tolerated.