Balthazar Engonga Ebang, once trusted with tracking financial crimes in Equatorial Guinea, is now battling a courtroom storm of his own.
The former Director-General of the country’s National Agency for Financial Investigation (ANIF) is facing an 18-year jail term over allegations of deep-rooted corruption.
The charges read like a checklist of high-profile scandal: embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and abuse of power. Prosecutors claim Ebang siphoned over 1 billion CFA francs—around $1.67 million—from state funds linked to a government-owned company under the Ministry of Finance.
But beyond the courtroom, Ebang has been a figure of controversy in Equatorial Guinea’s social landscape. Once hailed as a rising technocrat, he gained notoriety for his lavish lifestyle and rumoured affairs. At one point, local tabloids dubbed him “the Minister of Women”—a nod to his alleged romantic escapades with hundreds of women.
“He was like a rockstar,” one commentator said, “powerful, charming, and reckless.”
Prosecution Seeks Heavy Punishment
In the courtroom drama that began Monday, June 30, prosecutors are pushing for the maximum. They’re asking for eight years for embezzlement, another four years and five months for illicit enrichment, and six years and one day for abuse of power.
And they’re not done.
They want him fined 910 million CFA francs and barred from holding any public office until the sentence runs its course. That’s a full stop to any chance of a political comeback—for now.
The prosecution insists that Ebang used his powerful office for personal gain and betrayed public trust at the highest level of financial oversight.
Defense Cries Politics, Denies Everything
Ebang’s legal team says the whole case is a witch-hunt in designer shoes.
They claim the charges are “politically motivated” and backed by “no credible evidence.” According to them, this is less about justice and more about silencing a man who had insider knowledge of powerful secrets.
So far, the court has not ruled on the matter. But the nation—and its internet sleuths—are watching closely.
Ebang, who once stood at the front lines of fighting corruption, now sits at the defendant’s bench in what is shaping up to be one of Equatorial Guinea’s most watched trials in years.
Rate, Like 👍, Comment💬, share this article, Follow us on our social media handles, and Submit your own story to get featured and earn rewards!
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
