Coal theft case: ex-CEO of Erdenes Tavantolgoy was charged
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Mongolia is finishing its stalling in the investigation of the scandalous case of coal theft and is pressing charges against the suspects. One of the most interesting accused was B. Gankhuyag.
As the general director of the Erdenes Tavantolgoy coal company, B. Ganhuyag received a large bribe from the head of a legal entity that was engaged in stripping work and mining at the Tavan Tolgoi deposit. The bribe was spent on the construction of a sports complex and a house on an area of 4.6 hectares in the Khan-Uul district of Ulaanbaatar. In the winter of 2020, in the name of his friend’s relative, a businessman purchased two offices with an area of 464.5 and 530 square meters for 2.5 and 2.9 billion tugriks, respectively.
B. Ganhuyag
Investigators found that he earned 1,091,152,412 tugriks by renting out offices. In addition, during the investigation it was established that B. Ganhuyag laundered money by purchasing bonds and securities issued in the name of his relatives.
The case of coal theft will soon go to court. The Mongolian political and financial elite will be cleared of many influential people if the servants of Themis conduct the hearings with dignity and honesty.
Recall that the high level of corruption in mining companies caused massive outrage among Mongols in December 2022. Then thousands of local residents came to the main square of Ulaanbaatar and demanded that the government bring to justice the officials responsible for the theft of about 385 thousand tons of coal. Chinese authorities have imposed capital punishment on officials involved in the theft of imported coal and sent Mongolian Prime Minister L. Oyu-Erdene a list of Mongolian politicians involved in the crimes.
The investigation into the coal theft case intensified after Great Khural Speaker Zandanshatar dissolved the Great Khural working group on the issue because it was inactive. The official wording is failure to fulfill one’s duties. A group of deputies have done nothing over the past year, not even holding open or closed hearings.
Not surprising, since the commission included politicians involved in the coal scandal. Currently, the new temporary commission on this case is headed by the Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs Nyambaatar, who is able to withstand criticism and pressure, and the team includes opposition representatives with experience in holding public hearings, Enkhbayar and Dorjkhand. Since charges have already been brought, the commission will hold public hearings before the trial.