Ulaanbaatar’s Mega-Projects Under Probe: 2.6 Trillion MNT Frozen

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia — Following a decision by the Office of the Prosecutor General, a joint investigative task force comprising the Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC), the General Intelligence Agency (GIA), and the National Police Agency (NPA) has launched a comprehensive probe into a series of infrastructure projects funded by the Ulaanbaatar Municipal Government.

The investigation focuses on 24 planned "mega-projects," including the proposed Tuul Highway, the First Ring Road, and the Selbe Sub-center development, among others. Authorities are scrutinizing potential irregularities in procurement, contract selection, and the allocation of public funds.

Key Findings and Investigative Progress:

Project Status: Of the 24 identified projects—which span public transportation (6), road infrastructure (4), urban development (4), energy (5), and water infrastructure (5)—11 have yet to receive funding, while 13 are currently in the early stages of execution.

Evidence Collection: The task force has seized 53 volumes of physical documentation and 30 GB of digital data. Expert assessments have been requested from relevant technical bodies to evaluate project viability and compliance.

Witness Testimony: To date, 135 individuals, including project managers, municipal officials, and executives from private contracting firms, have been questioned as witnesses.

Financial Sanctions: Under prosecutor-approved orders, the task force has frozen all outgoing transactions across 30 commercial bank accounts, involving a total of 2.6 trillion MNT.

Enforcement Actions: Investigators have conducted 7 site raids, executed 24 inspections of digital systems and financial records, and taken 10 statements from 5 primary suspects. Currently, two individuals have been formally charged, and two others are being held in custody as part of the ongoing legal proceedings.

The task force continues to analyze the financial flows of these projects to determine if public procurement laws were violated and if the projects were awarded through transparent, merit-based selection processes. Investigators remain focused on uncovering potential high-level corruption and misuse of public resources.

The Office of the Prosecutor General maintains that the investigation is ongoing, and further details will be disclosed as the probe develops.