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Claim: Social media posts claim that Baltasar (Balthazar) Egonga has been released from prison after serving a two-year jail term in Equatorial Guinea.
Verdict: False! There is no credible evidence that Baltasar Engonga has been released after serving two years in jail. Verified reports show he was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2025 and remains in custody.
Full Text
A viral post circulating on Facebook, X, Thread, and Instagram claimed that Baltasar Ebang Engonga—popularly known as “Egonga” and associated with a viral sex scandal had been released from prison after serving two years.
The claim, framed as “breaking news,” suggested that women across Africa were celebrating his return to freedom.
One account shared the claim with the caption, “Breaking News: Balthazar Egonga has been released from prison after two years. Women in Equatorial Guinea and across Africa are celebrating… Many women were impressed with his eating skills and were even ready to give him more noodles. He has been released today, and he is officially a free man.”
The posts gained traction across multiple accounts, including pages that presented themselves as media outlets but provided no verifiable sources or official confirmation.
DUBAWA conducted a verification to determine the accuracy of this claim.
Verification
Checks across credible international and regional media show that Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a former senior official in Equatorial Guinea, was convicted in August 2025 on corruption-related charges. These included embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment, and abuse of office. Reports indicate that he diverted state funds, often disguised as official expenses, for personal use.
Multiple reputable outlets, including AFP-linked reporting and international publications, consistently confirm that Engonga was sentenced to eight years in prison, alongside significant financial penalties.
There is no evidence from any credible media organisation, local or international, that he has been released. Notably, even in Equatorial Guinea, where media space is limited, available reporting has focused on his trial, conviction, and sentencing, with no follow-up reporting on a pardon, an appeal success, or an early release.
Additionally, no official statement from the Equatorial Guinean government, judiciary, or prison authorities confirms the alleged release.
The viral claim also contains hallmarks of misinformation. It relies on sensational framing tied to his earlier viral notoriety rather than verifiable legal developments. The reference to a “two-year sentence” directly contradicts documented court rulings confirming an eight-year term.
Furthermore, similar misinformation has circulated previously about Engonga’s case, including exaggerated or incorrect sentencing claims, which fact-checking organisations have debunked.
Conclusion
The claim that Baltasar Ebang Engonga has been released after serving two years in prison is false. Verified reports indicate he was sentenced to eight years for corruption-related offences in 2025, and there is no credible evidence or official confirmation that he has been released. The viral posts are false and unsupported by facts.
