The high-profile trial of a former Mongolian prime minister has been attracting much attention. Earlier today (23 April), a Mongolian court decided that former Prime Minister M.Enkhsaikhan must be kept in custody until the next hearing, which has now been postponed until 5 May. M.Enkhsaikhan is being accused of political sabotage and the abuse of power over an ‘unsigned’ agreement regarding the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine project.

Judges at the Primary Criminal Court of the Sukhbaatar, Bayanzurkh and Chingeltei Districts of Ulaanbaatar, decided to detain the former PM because he has potential to influence others regarding the case. Witnesses will give testimonies at the next hearing.

Right before the trail, M.Enkhsaikhan was able to speak to journalists. ‘A draft of the Tavan Tolgoi agreement had been discussed at cabinet and presented to parliament in accordance with legal procedure. However, the failure of the project is being blamed on those who followed decisions made by cabinet and parliament. The project failed, however, this was because of a political conflict of interests’ he said.

M.Enkhsaikhan returned from Stockholm in 2019, where he had been serving as Mongolian Ambassador to Sweden since 2017.

M.Enkhsaikhan served as the prime minister of Mongolia from 1996 1998; as such, he was the first in 80 years not belonging to the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party.