MOSCOW, December 9 (RAPSI) – Igor Nesterenko, ex-General Director of the Pacific Bridge Building Company, a former contractor in the Vostochny Cosmodrome project, is accused of embezzling 108 million rubles ($1.5 million), RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday.

Earlier he was suspected of embezzling 55 million rubles’ ($ 1 million) worth of corporate assets while working with other suspects.

Since December 2014, Nesterenko allegedly failed to pay the salaries of 730 corporate employees. Although he supposedly could have paid the workers’ scheduled salaries, he instructed his managers to spend the available cash on other corporate projects, according to the case files. The wage arrears exceeded 19 million rubles ($271.400) when the case against Nesterenko was opened.

In April, Nesterenko was charged with wage arrears and fraud.

Earlier, Dalspetsstroy, a construction company working on the Vostochny launch site in the Amur Region, terminated its contract with TMK and filed a lawsuit to recover a debt.

The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The facility is planned to be completed by November 30, and the first manned mission is scheduled for 2018.