MOSCOW, May 15 - RAPSI, Diana Gutsul. Former Chief Military Physician Alexander Belevitin has pleaded innocent of the charges against him, the Moscow District Military Court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Tuesday.

The second defendant in the case, Belevitin's deputy Alexi Nikitin, has pleaded guilty to the charges.

Investigators believe that Belevitin and Nikitin accepted 7 million rubles ($238,000) in bribes to act as intermediaries in signing medical equipment supply contracts for the Defense Ministry worth over 187 million rubles ($6.4 million).

According to an expert estimate, the equipment was purchased at inflated prices that resulted in more than 51 million rubles ($1.7 million) in losses for the government.

Belevitin and Nikitin have been charged with abuse of office and large-scale bribetaking. Both men face up to 10 years in jail.

The investigation has included roughly 100 interrogations and 30 expert appraisals and has lasted for 10 months.