BREAKING: Court Jails President’s Son Over Illegal Aircraft Sale [PHOTOS]

Equatorial Guinea court jails President’s son Ruslan Obiang Nsue for illegal aircraft sale, offering repayment option to avoid prison.

A court in Equatorial Guinea has sentenced Ruslan Obiang Nsue, the 50-year-old son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, to six years in prison for the unlawful sale of a government-owned aircraft.

Obiang Nsue, a former managing director of the national airline Ceiba Intercontinental, was found guilty of selling an ATR 72-500 plane to a Spanish company and diverting the proceeds for personal use.

According to Hilario Mitogo, press director of the Supreme Court, the judgment was delivered on Tuesday. However, the court offered Nsue the option of avoiding prison if he reimburses about $255,000 to Ceiba Intercontinental, along with damages and a state fine.

While he was acquitted of separate charges of embezzlement and abuse of office, Nsue’s conviction has drawn widespread attention because of his prominent family background.

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Political and Family Context

Obiang Nsue has previously served as Secretary of State for Sports and Youth in Equatorial Guinea, one of Africa’s largest oil producers. He has been under house arrest since 2023, following an order by his half-brother, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue.

The sentencing also highlights ongoing controversies surrounding the powerful Obiang family. In 2021, a French court convicted Vice President Obiang Mangue of embezzling public funds, handing him a suspended prison sentence and a $35 million fine.

President Teodoro Obiang, 83, has ruled Equatorial Guinea for 46 years, making him the longest-serving head of state in Africa.