Why Elbegdorj’s Return Reopened Corruption Probes in Mongolia

Naadam, Mongolia’s midsummer festival, normally offers politicians a respite. Ministries empty, parliament slows and Ulaanbaatar drifts into celebration. This year, the arrival of former president Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj from California shattered the lull.

Ex-president Elbegdorj gives an interview in Mongolia

Mr Elbegdorj, who led Mongolia from 2009 to 2017, was not returning home permanently. His fellowship at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution runs until March 2028. Yet even a temporary visit for the holiday was enough to revive dormant investigations and reignite old political battles.

Under Mongolian law, criminal investigations suspended because a suspect resides abroad automatically resume once that person re-enters the country. Soon after Mr Elbegdorj landed in Ulaanbaatar, the Independent Authority Against Corruption reopened inquiries into alleged abuses of power and bribery dating from his presidency. Unlike a sitting president, former heads of state enjoy no special immunity.

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