Baltasar Ebang Engonga, nephew of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzlement. Engonga, once head of the National Financial Investigation Agency and rumored to harbor presidential ambitions, was accused of diverting large sums of money into secret accounts in the Cayman Islands.

Nicknamed “Bello” for his looks, Engonga was thrust into public scandal last year after dozens of sex tapes leaked online, allegedly showing him with several women — including wives and relatives of senior officials. The leaks came while he was already under investigation, raising suspicions they were orchestrated to destroy his political future.

A court found him guilty along with five other officials, who had claimed false travel allowances ranging from $9,000 to $220,000. In addition to jail time, Engonga was fined $220,000.

Once responsible for investigating money laundering, Engonga now finds himself imprisoned in Malabo’s notorious Black Beach prison. Analysts view his fall as part of a broader power struggle within the ruling elite, as President Obiang the world’s longest-serving leader since 1979 has positioned his son, Vice-President Teodoro Obiang Mangue, as his successor.