Malabo, Aug. 27, 2025 (Lusa) - One of the sons of the President of Equatorial Guinea has been sentenced to six years in prison for misusing public property by selling an aeroplane belonging to the national airline, the Malabo court said on Wednesday.

"The court sentences Ruslán Obiang Nsue, former deputy director of the Ceiba Intercontinental company, to a prison sentence and a fine, as well as full reimbursement of the proceeds from the sale of the plane," said the spokesman for the Malabo Supreme Court, Hilario Mitogo.

The prison sentence could be suspended if the convict returns 144.2 million CFA francs (€220,000) to Ceiba Intercontinental, pays compensation of 14.4 million CFA francs (around €22,000) and a fine of five million CFA francs (approximately €7,622) to the State of Equatorial Guinea.

The 50-year-old former Secretary of State for Sport and Youth, one of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo's sons, was also prosecuted for "abuse of power, abuse of assets of public interest and embezzlement of public funds", charges of which he was acquitted.

The authorities opened an investigation in November 2022 after the disappearance of the aircraft, an ATR 72-500 belonging to the national airline, Ceiba Intercontinental, which had been undergoing a routine overhaul in Spain since 2018.

At the time, it emerged that the aircraft had been sold to Binter Technic, a company specialising in aircraft maintenance, based in Las Palmas, on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria.

Arrested in January 2023, Ruslan Obiang Nsue has since been under house arrest on the orders of his half-brother, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, known as "Teodorin", the President's eldest son.

A dictatorial regime has ruled Equatorial Guinea for over 46 years under the leadership of 83-year-old Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. A world record for longevity in power for a living head of state, excluding monarchs.

LYSF/ADB // ADB.

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