A provincial court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced senior government official Baltasar Ebang Engonga to eight years in prison for embezzlement, in a case that has drawn both political and social media attention.

According to AFP, the Bioko provincial tribunal found Engonga guilty of misappropriating funds meant for professional travel, which he instead diverted for personal use.

The ruling was confirmed by Supreme Court press director Hilario Mitogo, who briefed reporters via WhatsApp.

Engonga, widely known by the nickname “Bello”, had previously headed the National Financial Investigation Agency.

He and five other senior officials were accused of siphoning off hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses from the oil-rich Central African nation.

The disgraced official also gained notoriety in November when a series of sex tapes—some filmed in his finance ministry office and involving the wives of other senior officials—surfaced on social media while he was already in detention.

The leaked videos sparked viral parodies online, including comic songs, dances, and even a spoof product dubbed “Balthazariem”, a fake virility drug named after him.

The provincial court not only imposed the prison term but also ordered Engonga to pay a $220,000 fine as part of the judgment.