However, after Vale had paid in $500 million, the government of Guinea led by President Alpha Conde launched an investigation into the legality of BSGR's license. In April 2014 the Guinean government cancelled BSGR's mining rights in Simandou, and in May 2014 BSGR sought arbitration over the government's decision to expropriate the company's mining rights. During the same month Rio Tinto filed suit against Vale and BSGR over the validity of their mining license. BSGR denied any wrongdoing and the lawsuit was dismissed in 2015 in the US. In November 2016, BSGR filed suit against Rio Tinto for compensation. In February 2019, BSGR came to an agreement with Guinea to withdraw the mutual corruption allegations as well as the arbitration case. The agreement made BSGR surrender its rights to Simandou but allowed it to maintain an interest in the smaller Zogota deposit while giving Mick Davis, the head of Niron Metals, permission to develop it. In 2016, former Guinean mining minister Mahmoud Thiam accused the head of Rio Tinto’s Guinea operation department, Steven Din, of offering him a bribe in 2010 with the aim of regaining Rio Tinto's control over half of the undeveloped Simandou project. In November 2016, Rio Tinto admitted to paying $10.5 million to , a close adviser of President Alpha Condé, in 2011 to obtain rights on Simandou. During the same month the company agreed to sell their remaining 46.6% stake in the mine to Aluminum Corporation of China Ltd. (Chinalco) for $1.3 billion. President Condé denied knowing about the bribe. However, according to recordings presented by FRANCE 24, Guinean authorities knew about the Simandou briberies by Rio Tinto. In 2017, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Britain’s anti-fraud regulator, launched an official investigation into Rio Tinto’s business and mining practices in Guinea. Investigations into the Group's activity in Simandou were also launched by Australian authorities and the US Department of Justice. Mining operations were expected to start before the end of 2015. Rio Tinto Limited plans to build a 650 km railway to transport iron ore from the mine to the coast, near Matakong, for export. Much of the Simandou iron ore is expected to be shipped to China for steel production. Despite assurances, the mine is still not operational. The mine is expected to produce up to 95 MTpa of ore.