Engonga, the anti-corruption czar of Equatorial Guinea, was accused of misappropriating public funds of at least 1.2 billion Central African francs.
He is Equatorial Guinea’s National Investigation Agency (NIF) chief. Engonga, born on March 15, 1970, studied Economics and Finance at the University of Malabo. Engonga is married wih six children. He is otherwise called ‘Bello’ because of his good looks.
Engonga’s alleged malfeasance is symptomatic of the crisis of corruption and sex, as illustrated by the Global Organised Crime Index.
The index disclosed that financial crimes “are widespread in Equatorial Guinea, particularly among the ruling class close to the president, including his son, who was convicted by the French and British judiciary for embezzlement of state funds in 2021.”
It said that assets in France belonging to the president’s family with an estimated value of €150 million were frozen and seized, revealing that funds are commonly embezzled from exploiting oil resources in Equatorial Guinea and controlling almost all significant economic sectors by the ruling elite.
Equatorial Guinea remains a source country for women and girls subjected to sex trafficking and a destination for men, women, and children exploited in forced labour.
Individuals from the region coming to Equatorial Guinea to seek employment are also vulnerable to labour exploitation, forced labour, or forced prostitution, with most victims exploited in the cities of Malabo, Bata, and Mongomo, stated the organisation.
Children from the country’s rural areas and neighbouring countries are also subjected to forced labour, it added.
It explained that, moreover, local women, as well as those entering from other countries, such as Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia, Paraguay, Ethiopia, Benin and Cameroon, are also exploited by traffickers in the form of forced prostitution and domestic servitude, including reports suggesting the involvement of security force officials and business elites in this criminal market.
Engonga was facing corruption charges when his sex tape, containing hundreds of video clips, was released.
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been in power since 1979, making him the world’s longest-serving president. He has been described as one of Africa’s most brutal dictators and worst abusers of human rights on the continent.
While the political leadership has expressed their will to counter drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other organised crime-related issues, these statements are generally not followed up by actions. Notably, the government has never prosecuted nor convicted any human trafficking suspects.
According to the crime index, Equatorial Guinea is one of the worst countries to conduct business in the world owing to the difficulties in setting up the business, such as pervasive corruption, risks of extortion and onerous bureaucratic procedures.
It noted that despite the regulatory reform to attract legitimate businesses into the country, most of these measures, such as public procurement processes, are disregarded.
