Following angry street protests in Ulaanbaatar,Ā the Mongolian government has agreed to open an investigation intoĀ the so-called “coal mafia,” a group of state officials and executives accused pilfering the country’s subsurface wealth for personal profit to the tune of some $12 billion.Ā Demonstrators attempted to storm the Government Palace on Dec.Ā 4, andĀ blocked the capital’s main boulevard, Peace Avenue. At issue are the vastĀ Tavan TolgoiĀ coalfields in the Gobi Desert, under exploitation by theĀ Mongolian Mining Corporation, a pillar of the national economy. (BNE Intellinews, BNE Intellinews, EuroWeekly News)
Photo viaĀ EuroWeekly News
