Russia sentences ex-government minister to 12 years in prison for embezzlement

FILE PHOTO: Russian Minister for Open Government Abyzov attends the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs in Moscow

FILE PHOTO: Russian Minister for Open Government Mikhail Abyzov attends the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) in Moscow, Russia, December 19, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File photo

Source: X90156

A Russian court on Thursday sentenced former minister Mikhail Abyzov to 12 years in jail, finding him guilty of fraud and organising a criminal group, state-run news agencies reported.

Abyzov, once an ally of former President Dmitry Medvedev, held the title of minister for open government affairs from 2012 to 2018. He was taken into custody in March 2019.

The Investigative Committee accused Abyzov of organising a criminal group and, together with other individuals, embezzling 4 billion roubles ($43.36 million) from two energy companies supplying electricity to the Novosibirsk region in Siberia. Abyzov, a former electrical power executive, denied the allegations.

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The alleged crimes took place between April 2011 and November 2014 while the alleged embezzled sum had been taken out of the country, the Investigative Committee said earlier.

In 2018 Forbes estimated Abyzov's wealth at $600 million.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters