Centerra ups the ante as it accuses Kyrgyzstan of high-grading Kumtor

Centerra Gold (TSX: CG) has asked an international arbitrator to impose ‘urgent interim measures’ on the Kyrgyz Republic and state miner Kyrgyzaltyn JSC to address alleged “critical operational and safety issues” at the Kumtor mine.

In its latest application, Centerra seeks immediate relief pending a final award in the arbitration to prevent the defendants from “causing irreparable damage to the mine.”

Centerra alleges that since secret police seized control of the open pit operation in mid-May, the Kyrgyz government and its agents have appointed mine managers who appear to be “departing from the mine plan” to high-grade the mine plan to “extract quick profits.”