Opinion: case of Tim Jarman is not as simple as alleged

Name of Tim Jarman, British national and consultant of the Asian Development Bank made headlines in Mongolian newspapers when he was found dead by a single bullet to his head in his apartment in Ulaanbaatar, 13 years ago. Coroner’s inquest into his death was made recently, according to the website of the Bath city in England.In 1997, Mongolian police started investigation, however in the middle of investigation, Ms.Tina Ohmahn who was a friend of Tim Jarman and one of few who last saw him, run away from Mongolia, according to Mongolian newspapers. Robert Walters, who was questioned along Tina Ohmahn said ““The evidence they seemed to base this around was one single photo with me and Tina either side and Tim in the middle with his arms around our shoulders taken at some special event.All three of us were good friends but they said we had been involved in a sexual relationship.My assumption that they drew this conclusion is because in Mongolia they don’t tend to make physical contact with each other unless they are involved in a sexual relationship.But that was their main evidence”. Well, let us see. Mongolians don’t make physical contact with each other unless they are involved in sexual relationship. It is not true. Mongolians make lots of physical contacts as friends. Many tourists can testify to that. Mongolians are much more closely related people. Not sure where Walters got this idea that unless you are involved sexually, you can not hug somebody in Mongolia. You can see girls walking in streets holding hands in Ulaanbaatar. Same applies to boys and men. In the west, this can be interpreted differently. It is not the case here.

Both Walters and Ohmahn thinks Government of Mongolia may have something to do with Jarman’s death. As usual, bad and corrupt Mongolian authorities knew that Jarman was going to blow a whistle about misspent fund, and killed him, according to the allegations of the two. It is so easy to make up this kind of story considering extent of corruption in Mongolia. We don’t know extent of Jarman’s involvement with the Asian Development Bank's project in Mongolia he is hired as consultant. Was he involved in decision making process in the Bank and in charge of large fund? Where he was working before Mongolia? Once these becomes clear, one can say with confidence that he was going to blow a whistle on misspent fund of the agricultural project funded by international donors.
Wife of Jarman said “The first line of inquiry by Mongolian police was that he'd had an affair - a crime of passion”. It could have been the case. It is common that expatriates in Mongolia enjoy a good life and company of young Mongolian girls and boys as mistresses and lovers. Big part of expatriates lives in UB is consumed by never ending parties, entertainments. Too much temptation and affairs are very likely happens often.No surprise. Everything is cheaper and easier for expatriates in Ulaanbaatar. And so easy to find culprits for any gone-wrong-deeds. Bad and corrupt Mongolian authority and police and strange Mongolian customs and mentality! Right? The case is much complicated and complex than Mr.Walters and Ohmahn alleges.

By Shagai