Baltasar Ebang Engonga Dismissed as ANIF Director

Baltasar Ebang Engonga has been removed from his position as Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) after a controversial video surfaced online, showing him engaged in sexual activities. The news was reported by the BBC and has sparked significant outrage within the country.

The government suspended Engonga following the viral video, which reportedly features him with over 400 women, including some linked to prominent figures in Equatorial Guinea.

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who is also Engonga’s great-uncle, issued a formal decree for his dismissal.

Vice-President Teodoro Mangue announced that strict measures would be implemented against officials involved in sexual misconduct within government offices. This scandal comes on the heels of Engonga’s unrelated arrest on corruption charges, leading to heightened scrutiny of government officials.

In light of the situation, the vice president instructed regulators and internet service providers to block access to the explicit videos. Additionally, cameras have been installed in government offices, and all officials implicated 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 it is discovered that he has a sexually transmitted infection.

First Lady Constancia Mangue Obiang expressed her anger regarding the incident, labeling it “embarrassing” and highlighting its damaging impact on the reputation of Guinean women. She stated on Facebook, “This social scandal has crossed our borders and affects our image.”

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.