MOSCOW, March 6 - RAPSI. The Moscow District Federal Commercial Court has registered the Defense Ministry's appeal against the decision to recover $4.9 million in penalties from the Khrunichev State Research and Production Center.

The Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals upheld on December 21, 2011, the dismissal of the Defense Ministry's lawsuit against the center.

The ministry sought to recover 144.7 million rubles ($4.9 million) in penalties from the Khrunichev State Research and Production Center for a January 31, 2006 procurement contract. The claimant said the space center failed to deliver the equipment on time.

The court decided that March 18, 2010 must be considered the delivery date, as that is when the customer issued a certificate for the equipment. Meanwhile, the vendor delivered the equipment for shipment on January 18, 2010.

The court also found that the ministry was responsible for providing cars to ship the equipment.

Meanwhile, the court decided the ministry was responsible for the delay, as it only delivered the cars on March 18.