Today, Mr. Azjargal G., Deputy General Director of the Independent Authority Against Corruption (IAAC) of Mongolia, received a delegation led by Ms. Ye-Ting Woo, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) of the U.S. Department of Justice. The delegation also included representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Azjargal introduced the delegation to the IAAC’s activities and achievements. He noted that, during the first ten years following its establishment in 2007, the IAAC conducted investigations into an average of 80 to 200 cases annually. Over the past five years, however, the annual number of cases investigated has risen to an average of 1,700. He further highlighted the increase in cases resolved by the courts, from 10 in 2013 to 188 in 2022. In terms of the recovery of damages, approximately MNT 2 billion was recovered in 2014, compared with MNT 2.3 trillion in 2022, which was recovered and returned to the state budget. Mr. Azjargal also emphasized that, as a result of the IAAC’s efforts to expand international cooperation in recent years, USD 12.2 million had been repatriated from abroad in connection with three criminal cases as of the previous year.

The U.S. delegation commended the IAAC for achieving significant results in a relatively short period of operation and encouraged the Authority to share its good practices and experience with counterpart institutions across the region.

Since 2012, with funding from the U.S. Department of State, the IAAC has collaborated with the World Bank’s Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement officials in Mongolia. This cooperation continued through 2022. In addition, with funding and support from the INL, the IAAC is implementing the “Integrity of Mongolia’s Systems” project through the International Development Law Organization (IDLO).

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on opportunities to further strengthen bilateral cooperation. At the conclusion, Mr. Azjargal expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their effective cooperation with the IAAC in specific criminal investigations.