MOSCOW, September 29 - RAPSI. Investigators initiated a criminal case on September 28 for overrating repairs of the Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft cruiser, the Northern Fleet Prosecutor's Office reported on Thursday.

The charge of abuse of power carries a sentence of up to four years in prison.

The Admiral Kuznetsov is the only ship of such a type in the Russian Navy.

Investigators have established that head of the Northern Fleet Technical Department Rear Adm. Viktor Barsuk failed to employ the relevant financial and naval experts for estimating the cost of the cruiser's repair and approved the contract in June 2009.

As a result, the contractor unlawfully received 9.7 million rubles ($305,000) from the state budget.

The prosecutors office sent its materials to the military investigative authorities for opening a case in September.