Sunday, November 24, 2024
spot_img

Former Mongolian president jailed

Date:

Share post:

spot_img
spot_img

Ulan Bator: A court in Mongolia has jailed former president Nambar Enkhbayar for four years after finding him guilty of corruption charges that he has called politically motivated.

Enkhbayar, 54, served as prime minister and then president for almost a decade until losing office in 2009. He was arrested in April in a dawn raid broadcast live on national television.

On Thursday, a Mongolian court found him guilty of misappropriating gifts intended for a monastery, along with other corruption charges, in a hearing broadcast on national television.

The court originally sentenced him to seven years, but commuted three, citing an amnesty law.

Enkhbayar, who was barred from running in Mongolia’s June parliamentary elections, called the charges “groundless”.

“I served the posts of president, prime minister and speaker of parliament. I never thought I would be accused groundlessly,” Enkhbayar said in his testimony. He has said he will appeal the verdict.

Mongolia is ranked 120 out of 182 countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by the watchdog group Transparency International, tying with Bangladesh, Iran and Kazakhstan.

It is one of Asia’s poorest nations but has increasingly lured foreign investors with its rich deposits of copper, gold, uranium, silver and oil. (AFP)

spot_img
spot_img

Related articles

Is it ever OK for scientists to experiment on themselves?

A virologist named Beata Halassy recently made headlines after publishing a report of successfully treating her own breast...

How do brains coordinate activity?

The brain is a marvel of efficiency, honed by thousands of years of evolution so it can adapt...

Jaiswal, Rahul flip the script on Aussies

Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul guided tourists to 172-0 at close of Day 2, a lead of 218,...

PCB says no meeting with ICC, BCCI

Karachi, Nov 23: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday brushed aside reports that its officials will be holding...