The Government of Equatorial Guinea has imposed restrictions on its citizens, preventing them from downloading and sharing multimedia files via mobile data on WhatsApp.
This decision came after the government directed telecommunications operators to implement measures to limit access to inappropriate content.
The situation escalated following a scandal involving Baltasar Engonga, the Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency, who became embroiled in a sex scandal linked to the wives of prominent individuals.
This scandal surfaced during a fraud investigation against Engonga, leading to unannounced searches of his home and office by ANIF officials, where they discovered numerous CDs revealing his illicit encounters with various married women.
Reports indicate that over 400 videos include interactions with high-profile figures, such as his brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of Equatorial Guinea’s president, the wife of the Director General of Police, and around 20 wives of ministers, among others.
The footage, which was recorded with consent, has since leaked online, igniting significant media attention.
In a recent update, local news outlet Ahora EG reported that citizens are expressing frustration over their inability to share photos, videos, and audio via mobile data, forcing them to rely solely on WiFi networks for such activities.
Earlier, the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Teddy Nguema, revealed plans to install surveillance cameras in all state body offices.
This measure is to ensure strict compliance with public service laws and curtail misconduct among officials.
Equatorial Guinea restricts WhatsApp amid govt official’s sex scandal
