MOSCOW, April 29 (RAPSI) – Twenty criminal cases have been opened over the alleged violations during the construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, Prosecutor General Yury Chaika told Russia's upper house of parliament on Wednesday.

“Twenty criminal cases have been opened on our recommendation, 228 officials have been disciplined, and 600 requests for the payment of delayed wages in the total amount of 23 million rubles ($440,600) have been sent to court,” Chaika said.

The press office of the Federal Service for Labor and Employment (Rostrud) announced on April 24 that wage arrears at the Vostochny project were estimated at approximately 80 million rubles ($1.5 million).

Inspections for compliance with labor legislation will continue at the construction site. To date, audits have been completed at 40 companies working at the spaceport, the Rostrud press office said.

Some companies are paying the delayed wages, with government labor inspectors monitoring the process.

Rostrud and the Federal Agency for Special Construction (Spetsstroy) are monitoring wage distribution at over 500 companies that are involved in project.

The construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome began near Uglegorsk in the Amur Region in the Russian Far East in 2012. Planned to become Russia’s largest launch site, it is to be completed by November 30, and the first manned mission is scheduled for 2018.

The construction company Dalspetsstroy has repeatedly reported that the project was behind schedule at some sites but promised to catch up. Dalspetsstroy’s director was fired in 2013 after it was revealed that the government had not received complete information about the delays.