Ex-Mongolian Prime Minister and U.S. Forfeiture involving $14 million Manhattan Apartments

Ex-Mongolian Prime Minister Batbold Intervenes in U.S. Forfeiture Case Over Manhattan Apartments; Lawyers Cite Amadea Superyacht Proceedings as Support

• Former Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold (2009–2012), a senior figure in the Mongolian People’s Party and current parliament member, has filed to intervene in a U.S. civil forfeiture case targeting two luxury Manhattan apartments (21 East 61st Street and 230 West 56th Street) worth approximately $14 million.
• The U.S. Department of Justice (EDNY) alleges the properties were purchased with proceeds from corruptly awarded copper mining contracts during Batbold’s tenure.
• He maintains the accusations form part of a broader political attack by opponents.
• His lawyers at Gibson Dunn argue
• The claims echo earlier 2020 coordinated lawsuits in multiple countries that they say were designed to derail his political career.
• The case remains ongoing in federal court in Brooklyn, with the intervention motion and related filings under review.

According to the DOJ's March 2024 complaint,

• While Batbold served as prime minister (2009–2012), a company he allegedly controlled through intermediaries,
• Hong Kong-registered Catrison Limited, was awarded a lucrative $68 million contract (part of broader deals totalling over $128 million) to purchase copper concentrates from Mongolia's state-owned Erdenet Mining Corporation.
• Prosecutors claim Catrison had "no operational history, no mining expertise," and served primarily as a middleman.
• Profits were allegedly siphoned through shell companies and laundered, with millions funnelled to purchase the two midtown Manhattan apartments in 2012 and 2015 for the benefit of Batbold and his family (including his eldest son, who reportedly used them).
• The DOJ stated at the time.
• "As alleged in the complaint, Sukhbaatar Batbold, the former prime minister of Mongolia, abused his position as prime minister to profit from the sale of his country's natural resources,"
• The apartments, valued at approximately $14 million combined, are described as proceeds of unlawful activity and are subject to civil forfeiture under U.S. money-laundering and corruption statutes.
• No criminal charges have been filed against Batbold in the United States.
• Batbold has vehemently denied the allegations for years, describing them as politically motivated fabrications recycled from a discredited dossier compiled by a private investigations firm.
• His team links the U.S. case to a 2020 coordinated wave of civil lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions brought by Mongolian state entities.
• Those actions sought to freeze assets, invalidate contracts, and recover funds related to major mining projects;
• Batbold's supporters say the campaign effectively ended his presidential ambitions at the time.

2026 update

Lawyers for former Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold:-

• Have moved to intervene in a U.S. civil forfeiture case targeting two luxury Manhattan apartments allegedly purchased with proceeds from corrupt mining deals, and
• Are pointing to the high-stakes DOJ forfeiture battle over the superyacht Amadea as supportive of their client's position.

In a motion filed around May 27, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York,

• Batbold's counsel at Gibson Dunn seeks to participate in the proceedings not to assert ownership of the properties,
• But to rebut what they call "spurious charges" and defend the former leader's reputation.
• The move comes more than two years after the DOJ first announced its effort to seize the assets.

In the latest development,

• Batbold's lawyers have invoked the DOJ's ongoing civil forfeiture case against the Amadea, the 348-foot superyacht seized in Fiji in 2022 amid allegations of sanctions evasion tied to Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.
• Court filings and reporting indicate that the Amadea proceedings are being cited as a supportive precedent or as illustrative of key legal principles,
• Potentially regarding evidentiary burdens, beneficial ownership determinations, or the scrutiny of complex international asset structures, bolstering Batbold's intervention and rebuttal efforts.
• The Amadea case itself remains active in the Southern District of New York, with recent rulings advancing the government's forfeiture efforts and potential auction of the vessel.
• U.S. District Judge is now considering Batbold's motion to intervene alongside the government's request to amend its complaint.
• The civil case continues in its early-to-mid stages, with no trial date set.

All sources  

• DOJ Press Release (March 27, 2024): https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/united-states-seeks-forfeiture-former-mongolian-prime-ministers-luxury-new-york-city
• BBC News (March 26, 2024): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68672230
• Reuters (March 26, 2024): https://www.reuters.com/world/mongolia-ex-pm-bought-nyc-apartments-with-embezzled-mining-money-us-says-2024-03-26/
• VOA News (March 26, 2024): https://www.voanews.com/a/us-seeks-to-seize-former-mongolian-prime-minister-s-new-york-apartments/7544118.html
• The Diplomat (March 29, 2024): https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/ex-mongolian-pm-accused-of-corruption-by-us-justice-department/
• CNBC (March 26, 2024): https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/26/feds-sue-to-seize-new-york-apartments-in-mongolia-scheme.html
• Global Investigations Review – Ex-Mongolian PM leans on superyacht case (June 2026): http://globalinvestigationsreview.com/just-anti-corruption/article/ex-mongolian-pm-leans-superyacht-case-in-bid-clear-name
• Global Investigations Review – Former Mongolia PM surfaces in Manhattan forfeiture case (May 29, 2026): https://globalinvestigationsreview.com/just-anti-corruption/article/former-mongolia-pm-surfaces-in-manhattan-forfeiture-case
• Law.com / New York Law Journal (June 5, 2026): https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2026/06/05/former-mongolia-pm-surfaces-in-manhattan-forfeiture-case-/
• Law.com / New York Law Journal (April 13, 2026): https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2026/04/13/civil-forfeiture-case-against-mongolian-politician-is-tied-to-political-fabrication-gibson-dunn-lawyer-says-/
• MLex (April 9, 2026): https://www.mlex.com/mlex/articles/2463739/former-mongolian-premier-asks-to-intervene-in-us-forfeiture-case-over-apartments
• Hoodline (May 30, 2026): https://hoodline.com/2026/05/ex-mongolian-pm-fights-feds-over-14-million-midtown-pads/
• Wikipedia (background on Batbold): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%BCkhbaataryn_Batbold
• Global Anticorruption Blog (2020 context): https://globalanticorruptionblog.com/2020/12/08/kleptocracy-strikes-mongolia-the-batbold-case/
• Amadea superyacht DOJ context (example): https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/civil-forfeiture-complaint-filed-against-300-million-superyacht-amadea-involved

These links cover the core DOJ allegations, Batbold's intervention and rebuttal arguments, the political context, and the Amadea reference. Some newer articles (GIR, Law.com) are paywalled for full text but confirm the key developments via headlines and snippets. For court documents, search the EDNY docket (e.g., via CourtListener or PACER) using case references tied to the apartment forfeiture.