A court in Equatorial Guinea has convicted one of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo’s sons for the illegal sale of a national airline aircraft, a court official confirmed.
On Tuesday, the court ruled that Ruslan Obiang Nsue, 50, a former director of the state-owned airline Ceiba Intercontinental, must serve a six-year prison sentence unless he reimburses the government for the missing plane, according to Supreme Court press director Hilario Mitogo, who shared the update via WhatsApp.
Obiang Nsue was found guilty of selling an ATR 72-500 aircraft to a Spanish company and keeping the proceeds for himself. He was initially placed under house arrest in 2023 by order of his half-brother, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue — also a son of the president.
The court said Obiang Nsue could avoid imprisonment if he repays approximately $255,000 to the airline, along with additional damages and a state-imposed fine.
He was acquitted of separate charges related to embezzlement and abuse of office.
In addition to his role in the airline, Obiang Nsue has previously served as Secretary of State for Sports and Youth in the oil-rich central African nation, which has been ruled by his father for 46 years.
In a related case, a French court in 2021 convicted his half-brother, Vice President Obiang Mangue, of embezzling public funds, issuing a suspended prison sentence and a $35 million fine.
