MOSCOW, December 29 - RAPSI, Natalya Belova. A commercial court will hear on February 2 a cassation appeal filed by Rosgazifikatsiya against the dismissal of the $317.41 million lawsuit against Gazprom and its registrar SR-DRAGA, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Thursday.

SR-DRAGA is the registrar of Gazprom shares.

Fifty million shares in Gazprom -- about 0.2 percent of its charter capital owned by Rosgazifikatsiya -- were transferred to the Depositary-Settlement Union in early 2000s and then auctioned.

Rosgazifikatsiya maintains that its management had been unaware of the transaction.

The plaintiff initially sought to recover damages equal to the value of 50 million Gazprom shares, but later decreased the requested amount from 14 to 10.1 billion rubles ($317.41 million).