• Ruslan Obiang Nsue, son of President Teodoro Obiang, jailed for illegal aircraft sale.
• Sentence may be suspended if he repays CFA144.2m ($255,000) plus fines and damages.
• Case comes as national carrier Ceiba faces financial troubles and planned privatization.

Ruslan Obiang Nsue, one of the sons of Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, was sentenced on August 26 to six years in prison for the illegal sale of an aircraft belonging to Ceiba Intercontinental Airlines, the country’s national carrier. He was convicted of “abuse of property of public interest.”

Authorities launched an investigation in November 2022 after discovering that the ATR 72-500 aircraft, which had been undergoing routine maintenance in Spain since 2018, had gone missing.

According to local media, the prison sentence may be suspended if Obiang Nsue reimburses CFA144.2 million (about $255,000) to Ceiba, along with CFA14.4 million in damages and a CFA5 million fine payable to the state.

The case comes at a difficult time for Ceiba, which has struggled for nearly a decade with cash flow problems and repeated aircraft breakdowns that have hurt operations. The airline also faces growing competition from regional carriers such as Asky and Air Côte d’Ivoire.

In March 2024, the government of Equatorial Guinea decided to privatize Ceiba Intercontinental. Alongside the privatization plan, which has attracted interest from major airlines including Ethiopian Airlines and Lufthansa, authorities also intend to launch a new carrier that will take over Ceiba’s assets.