Camer360

The Tribunal of Malabo has sentenced Ruslàn Obiang Nsue, one of the sons of Equatorial Guinea’s president, to six years in prison for abuse of public property linked to the illegal sale of an aircraft belonging to Ceiba Intercontinental, the national airline.

The court announced the decision on 26 August 2025, through a communication with journalists. Nsue, a former deputy director of the airline, was also ordered to pay a heavy fine and to reimburse the full proceeds of the sale.

The case dates back to November 2022, when an aircraft belonging to Ceiba Intercontinental disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Nsue was later accused of orchestrating its illegal sale. He was arrested in January 2023 on the orders of his half-brother, Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue.

The conviction is notable in a country where the ruling family has long been accused of using public assets for personal gain. Internationally, the Obiang dynasty has faced several legal challenges. Vice-President Teodorín Obiang was himself convicted by a Paris court in 2017 of embezzlement, money laundering, and abuse of trust, receiving a three-year suspended prison sentence, a €30 million fine, and the confiscation of luxury assets worth an estimated €150 million.

Observers say Ruslàn’s conviction reflects both an internal power struggle and growing international scrutiny over the governance of Africa’s longest-serving president, who has been in power since 1979.