In a rare instance of accountability within one of Africa's most entrenched ruling families, a court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced Ruslan Obiang Nsue, a prominent son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, to six years in prison for the unauthorized sale of a state-owned aircraft. The conviction, which highlights ongoing issues of corruption and nepotism in the oil-rich Central African nation, also offers the 50-year-old defendant a pathway to avoid incarceration through financial restitution. This development, confirmed by Supreme Court press director Hilario Mitogo on Tuesday, August 27, 2025, underscores the complexities of governance under President Obiang's 46-year rule, where family members hold significant positions of power amid widespread allegations of financial misconduct.
Obiang Nsue, who previously served as the director of the national airline Ceiba Intercontinental and as Secretary of State for Sports and Youth, was found guilty of selling an ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft—a model known for its capacity to carry up to 74 passengers and developed by the French-Italian manufacturer ATR in the late 1980s—to a Spanish maintenance company, Binter Technic, based in Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria. The aircraft, valued at around €250,000 (approximately $278,000), had been sent to Spain in 2018 for routine maintenance but was reported missing in November 2022, triggering an investigation that uncovered the illicit transaction. Prosecutors alleged that Obiang Nsue misappropriated the proceeds from the sale, redirecting funds intended for the state-owned airline into personal accounts, though he claimed during the trial that he received only €125,000 ($138,000) and used the money to settle airline debts with creditors like Spanish airport operator AENA and Binter itself.
The Malabo Court of First Instance delivered the ruling after a trial that had been suspended earlier, with prosecutors initially seeking a much harsher penalty of 18 years in prison—six years each for abuse of power, misappropriation of public assets, and embezzlement—along with a fine of 500 million CFA francs (about $850,000). However, the court opted for the lighter six-year sentence, acquitting Obiang Nsue on the separate charges of embezzlement and abuse of office. Mitogo, in a message to reporters, emphasized the conditional nature of the punishment: "The judge ruled that Ruslan Obiang Nsue must serve six years in jail unless he compensates the state for the missing aircraft." Specifically, Obiang Nsue can evade prison by repaying approximately $255,000 directly to Ceiba Intercontinental, in addition to covering damages and a state-imposed fine. Reports indicate he has already begun a repayment plan, starting with an initial deposit of 40 million CFA francs ($68,000) followed by monthly installments of 4 million CFA francs ($6,800), suggesting a potential resolution without full incarceration.
This case traces its roots to January 2023, when Obiang Nsue was arrested and placed under house arrest on the direct orders of his half-brother, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue—commonly known as "Teodorin"—who is also a son of President Obiang and has been positioned as a likely successor. In a public statement on social media at the time, the vice president expressed outrage, stating, "Ruslan Obiang has confessed that he was the person who sold Ceiba’s ATR... I will not allow myself to be carried away by familialism or favoritism, which is why I have ordered his immediate arrest and handing him over to justice." The investigation, launched in late 2022, revealed that the sale occurred without board approval, amid claims that the aircraft was dismantled to cover mounting debts for the struggling airline. Obiang Nsue, who had risen through the ranks to become deputy general manager and later managing director of Ceiba Intercontinental before his dismissal, defended his actions by asserting they were directed by the board to revive the company, but the court rejected this narrative on the core charge.
The sentencing arrives against a backdrop of familial and political intrigue in Equatorial Guinea, a nation blessed with vast oil reserves that make it one of sub-Saharan Africa's wealthiest per capita—third in GDP terms according to the World Bank—yet plagued by extreme inequality, with about 80% of its 1.4 million population living below the poverty line. President Obiang, now 83 and the world's longest-serving non-monarchical leader since seizing power in a 1979 coup against his uncle, Francisco Macias Nguema, has presided over a regime criticized for suppressing dissent, surviving multiple coup attempts, and fostering a culture of corruption. Transparency International ranks the country 172nd out of 180 nations in its corruption perceptions index, reflecting deep-seated issues of resource mismanagement despite annual oil revenues exceeding billions of dollars.
This is not an isolated incident within the Obiang family. The conviction of Ruslan Obiang Nsue adds to a pattern of high-profile scandals involving his relatives, particularly his half-brother, Vice President Teodorin. In July 2021, a French court convicted Teodorin of embezzling public funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including luxury mansions, supercars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and even a crystal-covered glove once owned by Michael Jackson. He received a three-year suspended prison sentence, a €30 million ($35 million) fine, and the confiscation of assets in France. Similar actions followed in the United States, where authorities seized a $30 million Malibu mansion and a Ferrari in 2014, citing corruption proceeds, and in Switzerland, where 11 luxury cars were auctioned off for about $27 million in 2016. The UK also froze his financial assets in 2021. Teodorin, often seen as the heir apparent, has faced international scrutiny for his opulent expenditures, which contrast sharply with the poverty endured by most Equatoguineans, fueling speculation about internal power struggles within the family.
The case has sparked national outrage and international interest, with many viewing it as a potential sign of internal reforms or, conversely, a tool for consolidating power among rival siblings. While Obiang Nsue's arrest was unprecedented for a member of the presidential inner circle, critics argue that such prosecutions may be selective, aimed at eliminating competition rather than addressing systemic graft. As Equatorial Guinea approaches future elections—where President Obiang secured 94.9% of the vote in his last contested term in 2022—these developments could influence perceptions of the regime's stability. For now, the focus remains on whether Obiang Nsue will fulfill the repayment terms, potentially averting jail time and allowing him to resume a low-profile role, or if this marks a turning point in the accountability of the nation's elite. With the Obiang dynasty's grip on power showing few signs of loosening, this scandal serves as a stark reminder of the challenges in balancing familial loyalty with public trust in one of Africa's most opaque governments.
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