MOSCOW, November 3 (RAPSI, Yevgeniya Sokolova) – Ex-colonel Yury Gaidukov was sentenced to five years in prison, fined 800,000 rubles (about $12,600) and freed on Thursday after the Moscow District Military Court learnt about his loss of sight.

Gaidukov, who worked at Russia’s Audit Chamber, was charged in 2007 with accepting a bribe in the amount of 7 million euros when inspecting rocket engine maker NPO Energomash.

Nikolay Serykh, the head of the federal bureau Lord Enterprises, Alan Gogichayev, the owner of Carven restaurant, and Zarina Farniyeva, ex-head of the Chamber’s legal department, were also implicated in the probe.

According to investigators, when inspecting Energomash Gaidukov found out that the enterprise delivered rocket engines to the U.S. in circumvention of the Russian government ban on exports of dual-capable engines. The export license was then suspended; investigators believe that Gaidukov demanded 7 million euros for license renewal and for endorsing “positive” results of the inspection. The deal was allegedly arranged in Carven restaurant.

In September 2007, after receiving the first “tranche” of the bribe amounting to 1 million euros, Serykh was apprehended by officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Investigators allege the money were to be given to Gaidukov, who in turn was to transfer part of the sum to Farniyeva.

Gaidukov went practically blind in detention. It took him almost three years to study case records.