The Supreme Court of Equatorial Guinea has acquitted Baltasar ‘Bello’ Ebang Engonga of charges filed against him, citing lack of evidence.
The apex Court while dismissing the charges against Ebang Engonga, a great-nephew of President Obiang of Equitorial Guinea, also held that all individuals involved in the intimate videos were consenting adults.
The case gained international attention after about 400 compromising videos of Engonga surfaced and trended online. The court further declared that medical tests proved that Engonga did not transmit any sexually transmitted diseases to those involved, thereby affirming his innocence.
This was just as a surprising development emerged following several married men whose wives appeared in the videos expressing gratitude to Engonga, saying that the videos exposed hidden aspects of their married lives, thereby leading some of the husbands to pursue divorce.
Engonga has also announced plans to take legal action against individuals responsible for leaking the videos, describing the dissemination as a grave violation of his privacy, highlighting the emotional distress it caused his family, particularly his wife.
The case sheds light on critical issues such as consent, privacy, and accountability in the digital era, raising awareness about the consequences of sharing intimate content online.
Before his arrest, Mr. Engonga was head of the National Financial Investigation Agency, where he worked to combat crimes like money laundering.
Engonga was detained on October 25, 2024 over allegations of embezzling substantial state funds and hiding them in offshore accounts which he has not publicly addressed,
Following his arrest, Engonga was imprisoned in Malabo’s notorious Black Beach prison, known for allegations of severe mistreatment of government opponents.
Authorities seized his phones and computers during the investigation and shortly after, the intimate videos began appearing online, thereby adding a sensational dimension to an already complex case.