Son of Equatorial Guinea’s long-serving president, Ruslan Obiang Nsue, faces six years imprisonment after a court convicted him of illegally selling a national airline aircraft, though he can avoid jail time by paying approximately $255,000 in compensation to the state.
Thank you for reading this post; don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel here!
The 50-year-old defendant, who served as director of the national carrier Ceiba Intercontinental, was found guilty Tuesday of selling an ATR 72-500 aircraft to a Spanish company and keeping the proceeds for personal use.
The conviction is the latest legal challenge facing the ruling Obiang family, which has controlled the oil-rich Central African nation for nearly half a century. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, 83, has governed Equatorial Guinea for 46 years, making him one of the world’s longest-serving leaders.
The case has exposed internal family tensions, with Ruslan Obiang Nsue placed under house arrest in 2023 on orders from his own half-brother, Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, who is also a presidential son.
Supreme Court press director Hilario Mitogo announced via WhatsApp that the defendant can avoid the six-year prison sentence by compensating Ceiba Intercontinental airlines, paying damages, and settling fines owed to the state. The total financial obligation amounts to around $255,000.
The court cleared Obiang Nsue of additional charges, including embezzlement and abuse of office, focusing the conviction specifically on the unauthorised aircraft sale.
In July 2021, a French court had sentenced Vice-President Obiang Mangue to a suspended jail term and imposed a $35-million fine after convicting him of embezzling public funds.
The French case highlighted international scrutiny of the family’s wealth accumulation in a country where oil revenues have not translated into widespread prosperity for ordinary citizens.
Beyond his role at the national airline, Ruslan Obiang Nsue has held significant government positions, including secretary of state for sports and youth. His conviction raises questions about oversight and accountability within state-owned enterprises in the tightly controlled political system.
Follow the AkweyaTV channel on WhatsApp: http://bit.ly/3I7mQVx
Or scan the QR code:
