MOSCOW, October 22 (RAPSI) – Executive director of the Sheremetyevo flight crews union Alexei Shlyapnikov has denied involvement in an attempt to defraud an Aeroflot official of 100 million rubles ($3 mln).

The investigators believe that Shlyapnikov and a union activist Valery Pimoshenko, allegedly  extorted a bribe from Aeroflot’s flight director for aiding in a row over wages and quelling the pilots’ mass protest actions. The union leaders were detained in a bank depositary where they cashed out the initial 10 million ($300,000) rubles out of the bribe’s sum.

A criminal case was initiated against the union bosses on the charges of conspiracy to commit  major fraud. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison.

In July, The Moscow City court ordered Aeroflot to pay more than a billion rubles ($30 million) to its flight teams for 2011-12 graveyard shifts.

Before that, Nagatinsky District Court of Moscow allowed Aeroflot to refrain from compensating its pilots for the first 32 flight hours of the month. The court agreed with Aeroflot, which was appealing a regulators order to compensate its teams for the first 32 flight hours, as well as extra hazard and night pay.

Union representatives contested that ruling and appealed it in The Moscow City Court, which ordered the air carrier to pay the extra night and hazard pay for the 2011-2012 period. The union estimates that the compensations will add up to more than 1 billion rubles ($30 million).

Aeroflot employees say that the carrier proposed a new contract, which promised a substantial raise in salaries. However, the fine print removed the hazard and pay clauses, which the union considers unlawful.

Aeroflot is a member of the SkyTeam global alliance and is based at the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. In 2011, Aeroflot transported over 14 million passengers. The Federal Agency for State Property Management is Aeroflot's main shareholder with a 51.17% stake. Around 15% of the airline is held by companies belonging to businessman Alexander Lebedev.