Baltasar Engonga, the Director General of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF) has been detained following the emergence of explicit content involving over 400 women, including the wives of prominent figures in the nation.
The scandal surfaced after ANIF officials ransacked the home and office of the 54-year-old economist unannounced during a fraud investigation.
During the search, investigators uncovered numerous CDs, which revealed the 54-year-old’s intimate encounters with married women, including sexual interactions with high-profile individuals, such as Engonga’s brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of Equatorial Guinea’s President, the wife of the Director General of Police, and spouses of around 20 ministers.
The footage, which also showed that the women involved in the act with him consented to it, was stored in his office.
Some of the sex scenes in the viral videos took place in his ANIF office, featuring him alongside the national flag.
For several days, videos featuring Engonga have circulated widely on social media, displaying him in intimate settings with both married and single influential women, including locations such as hotels and his office at the Ministry of Finance.
Reacting, Vice President Nguema Mangue condemned the behaviour as violations of the nation’s Code of Conduct and Public Ethics Law.
Posting on social media, he reiterated that “ethics and respect are fundamental in our Administration” and warned that actions compromising public trust will not be tolerated.
The Attorney General Nzang Nguema also addressed the scandal, stating that while the footage shows no apparent coercion, public health risks and the potential spread of disease pose serious concerns.
The government has also suspended all officials engaged in sexual activity within ministry offices as part of its “zero tolerance” policy on actions undermining public integrity.