![Rio announced a $US3 billion writedown of its Mozambique coal assets in January.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171018093412im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/z/a/8/s/image.related.landscape.460x307.gz3aj7.png/1508309354118.jpg)
Rio's board should have come clean over dishonesty allegations
The fraud allegations made by the US regulator against Rio Tinto, its former chief executive, Tom Albanese and finance director Guy Elliott raise serious questions about the board - not just about their competence but about their public characterisation of what went on.