In response to a scandal involving a Government official, Equatorial Guinea has reportedly restricted its citizens from downloading and sharing multimedia files on WhatsApp when using mobile data
The scandal centers on Baltasar Engonga, Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency, who was implicated in a s3x scandal involving the wives of prominent figures in the country.
During a fraud investigation, authorities unexpectedly searched Engonga’s home and office, where they reportedly discovered CDs containing videos of his interactions with various married women.
These videos allegedly include encounters with high-profile individuals, including Engonga’s brother’s wife, his cousin, the President’s sister, the wife of the Director General of Police, and several ministers’ wives. The footage, said to have been recorded with consent, has since leaked online.
On Tuesday, news outlet Ahora EG reported that citizens are now facing restrictions when trying to share images, videos, and audio files using mobile data, forcing them to rely solely on WiFi to share such content.
Ahora EG quoted a source saying; “Should an entire country pay for the actions of a few? The likely decision to restrict access to essential communication functions seems disproportionate and punitive, affecting thousands of users of these platforms who, in addition to serving them for entertainment, also use them for their work and/or educational activities.”
The source continued, “In a world where digitalisation is becoming more and more important, should we shut down our platforms and paralyse our activities due to the actions of a few? Currently, users are forced to rely exclusively on WiFi connections, which not only limits their ability to communicate but also interferes with their daily activities.”
The report added, “Is it really fair that everyone should suffer the consequences of the actions of a few? The authorities have not yet provided any explanation for the reasons behind this restriction, as well as the duration of the same. At a time when information and communication are more vital than ever, the lack of transparency only aggravates citizens’ concerns.”
In a related development, the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Teddy Nguema, announced plans to install surveillance cameras in all government offices, a measure aimed at strengthening adherence to public service laws and curbing misconduct among officials.
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