A senior government official in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Ebang Engonga, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzlement.
According to Vanguard, Engonga, the former head of the national financial investigation agency, was found guilty of diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel expenses for personal use. Five other senior officials were also implicated in the scheme.
The case gained widespread attention last year after several sex tapes featuring Engonga with the wives of other officials surfaced online. Some of the footage was reportedly recorded inside his office at the finance ministry.
The leaked videos went viral on social media, inspiring memes, parodies, songs, and even a spoof virility drug named “Balthazariem.”
Despite the sensational public fallout, a Bioko provincial tribunal has now sentenced Engonga to eight years in prison and imposed a fine of $220,000.