Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President, Teodoro Obiang Mangue, has issued a stern warning that civil servants caught engaging in sexual activities in government offices will face “severe measures.” This comes after the leak of hundreds of explicit videos reportedly involving Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a high-ranking official, with several women, including wives of prominent officials, in his office.
Engonga, head of the National Financial Investigation Agency and a relative of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has yet to comment publicly. However, on Facebook, he posted a photo with a woman and children captioned, “Family is everything,” expressing sadness over recent events.
In response to the scandal, Vice President Obiang announced that any official engaging in such acts at work would be suspended, calling it a “flagrant violation of the code of conduct.” He has also mandated the installation of surveillance cameras in government offices to prevent “indecent and illicit acts.”
A statement from the vice president’s office clarified that these measures aim to restore the country’s image after the videos, which have circulated widely, sparked outrage. The office has also called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the recordings.
According to state broadcaster TVGE, the videos were leaked following Engonga’s arrest on separate corruption charges. Last week, Obiang addressed the surge of explicit content on social media, instructing telecom companies to limit its spread. Since then, internet access and image downloads have reportedly been heavily restricted in the country.
Engonga, known locally as “Bello” due to his good looks, oversees financial crime investigations, including money laundering. Equatorial Guinea’s Chief Prosecutor Anatolio Nzang Nguema recently stated on national TV that if Engonga is found to have a sexually transmitted infection, he could be charged with an offense against public health.