MOSCOW, October 11 - RAPSI, Dmitry Shchitov. An appeals court has upheld the lower-court's dismissal of a $315.5 million lawsuit against Gazprom, the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI) reports from the courtroom.

RosGazifikatsiya sued the gas monopoly for the illegal sale of Gazprom shares in 2000.

The claimant said the keeper of Gazprom's shareholder registry illegally transferred 50 million of Gazprom shares (0.2 percent of Gazprom's share capital) owned byRosGazifikatsiya to the Depository and Settlement Union in early 2000. Consequently, the shares were auctioned off. The claimant maintains that it was not informed about the sale.

The claimant sought to recover losses. It reduced its claims from 14 billion rubles to 10.1 billion rubles ($315.5 million) at a July 27 hearing.