Photo credit, AFP
In Equatorial Guinea, a political-sexual scandal worthy of the 7th art involving a senior official is currently the leading subject of the media and at the top of trends on social networks.
The reaction of the authorities was not long in coming.
Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang reacted to the controversy on the X platform (formerly Twitter). “Given the abuse that has been shown on social media in Equatorial Guinea in recent days, and recalling that ministries are solely and exclusively intended to carry out administrative work to support the development of the country, sexual relations in offices are prohibited,” wrote the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea.
Mr Nguema Obiang said that “public servants caught having sex in their office will face severe action” as it is a “blatant violation of the code of conduct”.
“Monitoring mechanisms are already in place and anyone found to be in breach of this rule again will be subject to disciplinary proceedings for indecent exposure and will be dismissed.” »
He also ordered the installation of surveillance cameras in courts and ministries to combat “indecent and illicit acts”.
A statement from the vice president’s office said the decision was made following widely circulated videos that “denigrated the country’s image.”
The videos in question were leaked after Mr. Engonga’s arrest on separate corruption charges, state television TVGE said.
Last week, Vice President Obiang said “pornographic videos” had “flooded” social media and ordered telecommunications companies to stem the spread.
Since then, Internet traffic – particularly the downloading of images – has been severely disrupted in the country, people in Equatorial Guinea told the AFP news agency.
As head of the National Financial Investigation Agency, Mr Engonga works on combating financial crimes such as money laundering.
Following the outcry over the videos, Equatorial Guinea’s attorney general, Anatolio Nzang Nguema, told public television that if Mr Engonga was found to have been “infected with a sexually transmitted disease”, he would be prosecuted for violating the law on human rights and fundamental freedoms.
On his Facebook page, Mr. Engonga expressed his sadness, accompanied by a photo of himself with a wife and children, captioned: “Family is everything”.
Photo credit, Getty Images
What are the facts?
Baltasar Ebang Engongadirector general of the National Financial Investigation Agency of Equatorial Guinea, the body in charge of the fight against financial crime and corruption, is at the heart of a story of morals which is causing a shock wave in the country and beyond.
In recent days, social networks and adult sites have been flooded with dozens of sex tapes from Equatorial Guinea.
Intimate videos have been broadcast on the internet, showing the director of the tax administration of this country in compromising positions with several women and not the least important ones.
These images, discovered by judicial authorities as part of an investigation into tax fraud, sparked indignation and disciplinary warnings from the country’s leaders.
During a search of his home and office as part of an investigation into alleged tax fraud, authorities discovered more than 400 files containing videos of the accused Baltasar Ebang Engonga who allegedly had sexual relations with various women.
The sexual videos were posted online and went viral within hours. They aroused indignation in public opinion and the anger of the country’s leaders.
The sequences broadcast on social networks concern meetings with wives of prominent public figures.
According to the first elements of the investigation reported by local media, all the meetings were recorded with the consent of the participants and the scenes were filmed in different locations, including in his office, in hotels and in toilets.
These sexual images went viral in the space of a few hours, causing the highest authorities of the regime to react.
Who is Baltasar Ebang Engonga?
Nephew of Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Baltasar Ebang Engonga is also the son of Baltasar Engonga Edjo’o, the current president of the Commission of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC).
Married with six children, Mr. Engonga could see his career as a civil servant put to the test as Equatorial Guinea’s leaders struggle to control the fallout from the scandal, widely covered by national and international media and amplified by social networks.
Baltasar Ebang Engonga enjoys good relations within the government and even has close ties with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, which makes these accusations particularly shocking in the eyes of the public.
While awaiting future developments in this affair which continues to hold the web in suspense, many people are now questioning the integrity, ethics and morality of the figures in power.
