MOSCOW, March 30 (RAPSI) – Dalspetsstroy, the company in charge of the Vostochny Cosmodrome construction has filed three lawsuits with the Moscow Commercial Court against the management of the spaceport demanding overall 1.2 billion rubles ($17.9 mln), RAPSI learned in the court on Wednesday.

The first lawsuit demanding 537 million rubles ($8 mln) from Vostochny is going to be heard on April 19. Other lawsuits are going to be heard on June 7. No further information regarding the lawsuits is available at the moment.

On March 24, the Moscow Commercial Court ordered Dalspetsstroy to pay 3.5 billion rubles ($52 million) in debt to VTB bank.

The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The facility is planned to be completed in 2016. The first manned mission is scheduled for 2018.

Dalspetsstroy has repeatedly reported that the project was behind schedule at some sites but promised to catch up.

According to investigators, ex-CEO of Dalspetsstroy, Yuriy Khrizman, his son Mikhail and Viktor Chudov, Chairman of the Khabarovsk Territory Duma, embezzled about 106 million rubles ($1.6 million) belonging to the company. However, one criminal episode was uncovered within the investigation into the case over alleged embezzlement at Vostochny Cosmodrome.