MOSCOW, August 9 - RAPSI, Sariya Kiut. The Moscow City Court has sentenced Vladimir Golban to life imprisonment on Thursday for his role in the assassination of Magadan Governor Valentin Tsvetkov, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

The sentence was passed in a jury trial.

The court sentenced Golban to 15 years, but the punishment is equivalent to life imprisonment taking into account the crimes for which he is presently serving time.

Another suspect in the case, Sergei Filippenko, received eight years in prison.

Filippenkos attorney Vladimir Samarin is determined to file an appeal.

"I do not agree with the sentence," he said. "My client is only to blame for being on Petrovka Street on the day when the crime was committed. He also knew a person involved in the case."

Tsvetkov was assassinated on October 18, 2002 in Moscow's Novy Arbat.

He is thought to have been killed as part of the "Golden Credit" scandal. The government had allocated federal funds in 1995 to support gold mining producers. However, not all of the funds were returned to the budget in 2002. Tsvetkov was taking active measures to return them.