Equatorial Guinea mandated a clampdown on sexual activities in government offices following the leak of private videos on social media that seemed to depict a high-ranking finance ministry official engaging in sexual acts with several women in different locations, including his office, on Tuesday, November 6.
The government stated it was responding because the videos had tarnished the reputation of the small Central African nation. Equatorial Guinea has been governed by the same leader for many years, and the scandal has been troubling the administration since the videos surfaced last week.
Local media sources indicated that numerous amateur videos were discovered at the finance official's residence during a raid linked to a corruption inquiry. The videos showed women who seemed to be spouses of other influential government officials and various relatives, according to local media reports.
On Tuesday, Vice President Nguema Obiang Mangue announced new measures aimed at stopping judiciary and ministry officials from participating in unlawful activities during work, as stated by the government. This involved placing security cameras in every office along with enhanced security measures.
President Teodoro Obiang has governed Equatorial Guinea, a country with a population of around 1.7 million located on the west coast of Central Africa, for 45 years, making him the longest-serving president globally.
"The executive is making this choice due to the sexual videos that have recently gone viral on social media and tarnish the nation's reputation," the state information agency mentioned in the statement.
The announcement indicated that the actions were settled in urgent meetings involving the Supreme Court, the attorney general, and additional parties.
It stated that individuals featured in the sex tapes would face suspension, not mentioning any names, while those tasked with securing the locations where the videos were reportedly recorded would be penalised for not fulfilling their responsibilities.
