Ulaanbaatar (AFP) – Thousands brave freezing temperatures in Mongolia’s capital to protest alleged corruption in the country’s coal industry and soaring inflation. Public outrage has also been stoked by whistleblower claims that a so-called “coal faction” of lawmakers with ties to the industry has stolen billions of dollars worth of the sedimentary rock. In mid-November, Mongolia’s anti-corruption authority announced that over 30 officials — including the CEO of the state-owned coal mining company Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi — were under investigation for embezzlement.
