Balthazar Egonga, the former head of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency, has reportedly been sentenced to 18 years in prison for financial crimes, including embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and abuse of office. According to emerging reports, the charges stemmed from his alleged diversion of public funds while serving in a top anti-corruption role.
The court reportedly handed Egonga 8 years for embezzlement, 4 years and 5 months for illicit enrichment, and 6 years and 1 day for abuse of power. In addition, he faces a hefty fine of over 910 million CFA francs and has been banned from holding any public office for life. However, independent verification of the sentencing is still pending as major international news agencies have not yet confirmed the development.
Egonga’s fall from grace follows a turbulent legal history, including a previous case in which he was cleared by the Supreme Court over a scandal involving leaked private videos. The current conviction marks a significant step in Equatorial Guinea’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts and has sparked reactions both locally and across social media.