MOSCOW — A senior Russian Defense Ministry official has been jailed for seven and a half years for bribe-taking, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reports.
The Moscow City Court has sentenced Sergei Yemelin, head of the Defense Ministry’s Construction Directorate in Moscow.
The court also ruled that Yemelin cannot hold a government post for three years after he finishes his prison term.
Six million rubles ($208,500) in cash found by investigators in Yemelin’s office will be transferred to the state treasury.
Investigators say Yemelin extorted large amounts of money from construction companies in return for certifying that building work was completed on schedule.
Yemelin was detained while accepting 4.5 million rubles ($144,000) in cash as a bribe in December.
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