MOSCOW, April 27 (RAPSI, Yevgeniya Sokolova) – The Moscow City Court on Thursday sentenced ex-head of the Interior Ministry's Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Department, Lieutenant General Denis Sugrobov, to 22 years in high-security prison for organizing a criminal group, abuse of office and provocation of bribery, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

Other Interior Ministry’s officers involved in the case, Salavat Mullayarov, Ivan Kosourov, Vitaly Cherednichenko, Yevgeny Shermanov, Sergey Borisovsky, Sergey Ponomarev and Andrey Nazarov, received prison terms ranging from 17 to 20 years. One more defendant, businessman Igor Skakunov, was sentenced to 4 years in high-security prison.

Sugrobov’s deputy Boris Kolesnikov, who had committed suicide in 2014, was also found guilty. The case against Kolesnikov was closed because of his death.

All convicted officers were stripped of their ranks by court order.

Trial was held behind closed doors because the case is classified as secret.

Earlier, a prosecutor demanded a 22-year prison for Sugrobov and prison terms ranging from 17 to 21 years for other Interior Ministry’s officers charged in the case. The court was also asked to sentence businessman Skakunov to 5 years in jail.

According to investigators, Sugrobov and Kolesnikov tried to provoke a Federal Security Service (FSB) officer by offering him $10,000 a month for his protection. Sugrobov has been charged with organizing a criminal group, abuse of power and bribery.

Kolesnikov was arrested in February 2014. In June, he jumped out of a window during questioning at the Investigative Committee. Later the Basmanny District Court said no evidence was found of assisted suicide.

In total, 10 people became defendants in this case with case materials making about 400 volumes. Thirty persons were recognized as aggrieved parties, thirteen of whom filed suits seeking to recover in total 218 million rubles (about $3.5 million) from the defendants. Later, victims withdrew their claims.

Sugrobov, 41, is one of the youngest police generals. He obtained the rank of Lieutenant General at the age of 36.