MALABO, Equatorial Guinea — Equatorial Guinea has jailed two senior officials this week, including Ruslan Obiang Nsue, a son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo over graft and misconduct.
On Tuesday, a court in Bioko convicted Ruslan Obiang Nsue of illegally selling a plane owned by the national carrier, Ceiba Intercontinental, while he was the company’s director.
An investigation was launched in November 2022 after authorities discovered the disappearance of the ATR 72-500 aircraft, which had been in Spain for routine maintenance since 2018.
The investigation found that 50-year-old Obiang Nsue sold the aircraft to a Spanish maintenance company and kept the money.
On Wednesday, the same court sentenced Baltasar Ebang Engonga to an eight-year jail term for the embezzlement of public funds.
Engonga, a former head of the National Agency for Financial Investigation and a nephew of the country’s leader, had become infamous for leaked sex tapes involving him and various women.
The videos, some of which were filmed in his office at the Ministry of Finance with the wives of other government officials, went viral in November of last year.
The videos were reportedly recovered after authorities raided his communication devices while investigating the embezzlement case.
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Hilario Mitogo Miko Mikue, the Supreme Court of Justice’s Director-General of Press, confirmed Wednesday’s verdict. He added that the former senior government official was also fined FCFA 125.4 million ($222,000).
The court ruled that Engonga was guilty of diverting money designated for professional travel expenses for his personal use.
The tribunal found that amounts ranging between $8,900 and $221,500 were used for personal purposes under the cover of travel and mission expenses that were already funded by the state.
