Hundreds of explicit videos involving a high-ranking civil servant from Equatorial Guinea and the wives of other men have circulated widely on social media, prompting a crackdown by the government. The videos show Baltasar Ebang Engonga, the director of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), engaged in sexual acts with several women, including the wives of prominent officials, inside his office at the Ministry of Finance, according to a report in Agence France-Presse (AFP).
In response to the scandal, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue announced on Monday that the government would immediately suspend all civil servants found to have engaged in sexual activities in government offices, citing violations of the public ethics code. The reports stated that this is not the first time such videos have surfaced, but the involvement of high-ranking officials has escalated the matter to unprecedented levels.
Last week, Vice President Obiang ordered the telecommunications ministry and phone companies to take action against the widespread distribution of these pornographic videos across social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. He stated, “As the government, we cannot continue to see families destroyed.”
Engonga himself shot explicit videos
The videos, reportedly filmed by Engonga himself, show over 400 explicit recordings taken in his office. Known by the nickname “Bello” for his striking looks, Ebang Engonga is a married father and the son of a prominent political figure, Baltasar Engonga Edjo, Chairman of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community. He is also related to the country’s long-serving president.
The videos emerged while Engonga was in custody at Malabo’s notorious Black Beach prison, facing embezzlement charges, according to state TV. Equatorial Guinea’s chief prosecutor, Anatolio Nzang Nguema, warned that if any medical tests reveal that Engonga has a sexually transmitted disease, he will face further prosecution under public health laws.
The authorities have already begun disrupting internet traffic, including slowing down the downloading of images and videos, in an attempt to curb the spread of the tapes. Meanwhile, speculation is rife on social media that more videos involving other individuals could be released in the coming days, further fueling public attention to the scandal.