Equatorial Guinea President’s Son Faces Six‑Year Jail Term Over Illegal Sale of State‑Owned Aircraft
The judiciary in Equatorial Guinea has convicted Ruslan Obiang Nsue, son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, for the unlawful disposal of an aircraft owned by the country’s national airline. The verdict, delivered on Tuesday, stipulates that he is to serve a six‑year custodial sentence unless he fully compensates the state for the loss of the aircraft, according to information released by Supreme Court press director Hilario Mitogo.
Court findings established that Mr. Obiang Nsue, aged 50 and a former managing director of the national carrier, Ceiba Intercontinental, orchestrated the sale of an ATR 72‑500 aircraft to a Spanish company and personally appropriated the proceeds. The transaction, deemed illegal, amounted to a direct misappropriation of state‑owned property.
It was further recalled that in 2023, Mr. Obiang Nsue was placed under house arrest on the directive of his half‑brother, Vice‑President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, also a son of the President. The measure formed part of preliminary steps leading to his prosecution.
The court’s ruling provides that in lieu of imprisonment, Mr. Obiang Nsue may avert the six‑year sentence by paying approximately USD 255,000 to Ceiba Intercontinental, together with additional sums in damages and a monetary fine payable to the state.
