MOSCOW, March 23 (RAPSI) – The Moscow Commercial Court has postponed preliminary hearings in a dispute between Roscosmos and Khrunichev Space Research Center over the recovery of 2.2 billion rubles ($36.7 million) until April 21, RAPSI learnt in the court on Thursday.

The court records show that yet another Roscosmos claim against Khrunichev amounting to 33.6 million rubles (about $560,000 at the current exchange rate) is pending.

In January 2016, Roscosmos filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Commercial Court demanding 3.2 billion rubles (about $54 mln) from the Khrunichev Space Center which is responsible for the development of “Proton” and “Angara” space rockets. In November, parties claimed that they may settle the dispute.

Last September, the Gagarinsky District Court of Moscow gave former Khrunichev Center’s Deputy Director General in charge of Economics Alexander Ostroverkh a five-year suspended sentence for embezzling 285 million rubles ($4.5 million). Ostroverkh admitted his guilt in full and cooperated with investigators, so he was the first person sentenced in this case.

In December 2016, the Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow began hearings in a criminal case against other high-ranking managers of the center over embezzlement of 360 million rubles (about $6 mln). Vladimir Nesterov, former director general of the space center, was charged in this case. Investigators believe that Nesterov created a criminal group to embezzle government funds from the center in 2007. It included Mikhail Yakushin, the center’s chief accountant, Dmitry Dyakonov, head of the Ekopravo economic and legal consultancy, and several other unidentified persons.

The Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is one of the country's leading space enterprises. Currently the research center’s main priority is construction of “Proton” and “Angara” space rockets. In 2014, it was revealed that enterprise faced financial troubles.