In a remarkable verdict delivered last week on scandalous leaked sex videos, the apex Court of Equatorial Guinea has dismissed the charges against Baltasar 'Bello' Ebang Engonga, citing a lack of evidence while maintaining that all individuals involved in the intimate videos were consenting adults.

Step into the intricate world of Equatorial Guinea's political chess game, where every move has far-reaching implications.

For weeks, the name Equatorial Guinea has been a hot topic, breaking internet search records and gaining international notoriety following the ignominious 400 leaked videos of Engonga, a nephew of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and one of those thought to be hoping to replace him. The political landscape of Equatorial Guinea is a complex web, with power concentrated within a ruling dynasty, the Obiang Nguema family, and a distinct lack of political transparency, making it a fascinating and intricate subject for analysis. The Obiang Nguema family has been in power for over four decades, and their influence permeates every aspect of the country's politics and society.

The compromised sex videos, which surfaced and trended online, featured Baltasar Ebang Engonga engaging in sexual escapades with multiple women, many of them wives and relatives of highly influential, powerful and respected people in Equatorial Guinea.

Apart from dismissing the cases on consensual grounds, the court further affirmed Engonga's innocence, maintaining that medical tests proved that he did not transmit any sexually transmitted diseases to the women he had sex with. What a clean medical, legal and political bill, you would say.

The leaked videos caused a global sensation, especially in Equatorial Guinea, where some of the husbands of the accused women are seeking a divorce. However, the court's unexpected acquittal verdict, which shocked many, added a dramatic twist to the unfolding drama. In a country shrouded in secrecy and political repression, it's not uncommon for the court to succumb to the influence of its political elite. One can hardly ignore the dominant power in a case involving the nephew of the President and a potential successor. Is the acquittal verdict part of the exercise of dominance and a larger power struggle in the Equatorial Guinean political arena? Welcome to the secretive Equatorial Guinea hermit.

Life goes on for 'Bello' Ebang Engonga

Those hoping that the leaked outrageous videos of Engonga could send him to political oblivion or be his political obituary might as well think twice. Following his acquittal, Mr Engonga has vowed to take legal action against individuals behind the leaked videos, an action he described as a gross violation of his privacy, claiming he and his family, especially his wife, suffered emotionally due to the video leakage. Yeah, privacy; indeed, that is what one ironically expects when one engages in a sexual rendezvous with multiple married women in a country where the rights and privacy of ordinary citizens mean nothing to the government. As much as one can argue that the Engonga case, and for that matter, his acquittal, brings to light critical issues such as privacy, consent, accountability and the danger of sharing intimate content online in today's digital world, the dismissal of the case raises another interesting question: Are there some political chess games behind the leaking of the infamous sex tape leak?

Secret hands of conspiracy pulling the string

Ironically, Mr Engonga, employed by the government to fight crimes, ended up entangled in a thorny situation that would put his integrity on the spot. Before his arrest, Mr Engonga was the head of the National Financial Investigation Agency, responsible for combating crimes like money laundering. Sadly, he was arrested on October 25, 2024, over alleged financial embezzlement of millions of dollars belonging to the State and having a secret offshore account where he stashed the alleged millions. It was during the arrest and confiscation of his phones and laptops that the sensational videos came to light and became the dominant discourse in the public domain. Mr Engonga was later imprisoned in Malabo's notorious Black Beach prison, the infamous 'cooling spot' for government opponents. The term' secret hands of conspiracy' refers to potential political opponents or entities with a vested interest in discrediting Mr Engonga. These 'secret hands' could be individuals or groups who stand to gain from Engonga's downfall, whether political rivals or those seeking personal gain. The 'secret hands of conspiracy' are the unseen forces manipulating the narrative and influencing the case's outcome. They are the puppeteers behind the scenes, pulling the strings of the Equatorial Guinean political opera.

Is there a hidden political dirigent at work? The public may see less than the real-life play on the political stage. Such videos may have gone unnoticed in any other ordinary country, but not in a highly secretive and restricted country where a free press does not exist. That makes the tape leak interesting and raises an eyebrow as to whether there is more to the leaked videos. And there is, for sure, more to what the public eyes can see. What the public sees as an inglorious sex tape escapade could be the latest chapter in the non-fictional drama of a power struggle in the bitter battle to succeed the ageing Teodoro Obiang Nguema to become the next President of Equatorial Guinea. The leaked videos could shift the power dynamics and influence the outcome of the succession battle. The potential impact of the leaked videos on the succession battle is significant, as it could tarnish Engonga's reputation and affect his chances of succeeding President Obiang. This reputation tarnishing could be a strategic move by his political opponents to weaken his position in the succession battle. The potential impact of the leaked videos on the succession battle is indeed significant, as it could significantly influence the outcome.

One may ask: Why are many of those women filmed, wives and relatives of people close to the centre of power? These questions become exciting and thought-provoking when one considers that Equatorial Guinea is a highly restricted society where a free press does not exist. Government restrictions and lack of press freedom give some credit to the belief that the leaks were a way to discredit Mr Engonga, also known as "Bello" due to his handsome looks, the man at the centre of the storm, who many believe is one of the candidates to replace President Obiang. That raises another interesting question: Who flooded social media with the videos? The leakers' motives, whether political opponents or individuals seeking personal gain are crucial to understanding the full implications of the leaked videos. 

 The Succession Chess Games.

As much as one condemns Engonga's irresponsible behaviour and sexual voraciousness, the present exposure may not be unrelated to the latent succession battle being waged in Equatorial Guinea. The 82-year-old Obiang, the world's longest-serving President, has been in power since 1979. Time is clocking on the President, who has ruled the oil-rich country with an iron hand, to vacate the political arena. Although he created an economic boom in the country, many of his impoverished subjects still live below the poverty level despite the country's vast oil reserves. As a nephew of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, in a country allergic to free elections and the rule of law, Mr Engonga is thought to be hoping to replace him. So, for Mr Engonga's political enemies or competitors, any scandals that can dent his reputation or integrity would be a substantial political goal. The leaked videos, therefore, could be a strategic move in the succession battle aimed at tarnishing Engonga's image and reducing his chances of succeeding President Obiang.

Mr Engonga is not the only one thought to be eyeing to replace President Obiang; one of the President's sons, the 56-year-old Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, now vice-president, is another potential candidate. He is known for his lavish lifestyle and excessive wealth, including posh villas abroad and a collection of exclusive, expensive cars and other assemblages of costly items, including a $275,000 (£210,000) crystal-encrusted glove worn by Michael Jackson.

Interestingly, the 56-year-old heir apparent, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, came out to condemn the exposure of the cousin's sex videos:

"We cannot continue to watch families fall apart without taking action," the Vice President wrote on X.

"In the meantime, the origin of these publications is being investigated to find the author or authors and make them answer for their actions."

As much as Obiang Mangue's message appears to show his genuine concerns about the leaked videos and support for his cousin Mr Engonga, as well as portrays him as a law-abiding leader, some suspect such remarks are meant to shift suspicion from him and present him as someone who is on the side of Engonga, who many believe is Obiang Mangue's rival to succeed the President. Worse still, some individuals who follow Equatorial Guinean politics closely have argued that such sensitive videos, which feature high-profile persons and power brokers in the country, could not have been flooded on social media without the knowledge and authorisation of powerful forces in the government. Some individuals may have taken such a bold action to gain political dividends. Like other rivals gunning for the highest political position in the country, it is not unlikely that Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue would benefit politically if his competitors stumble; he would, just like any ambitious politician, eliminate anyone politically who could challenge or be a threat to his ambition and succession.

In a highly secretive Equatorial Guinea, where information is scrutinised and controlled, it raises an eyebrow that such massive sensational and compromised videos can quickly flood social media globally without the knowledge and perhaps permission of influential individuals in the country. Such an action is aimed towards scoring political goals. Although being in power for 45 years and holding the record as the world's longest-serving President, many believe that the 82-year-old Teodoro Obiang Nguema is about to leave the political arena and hand over the political baton; the fight to replace him has intensified. The recent highly sensitive sex video leak and the Supreme Court acquittal have all added another dimension to and become part of the real-life drama of the power struggle and political chess game to succeed President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.