MOSCOW, January 16 (RAPSI) – A prosecutor has asked the Simonovsky District Court of Moscow to sentence four defendants in a criminal case over embezzlement of 1.3 billion rubles ($23 million) during construction of Vostochny Cosmodrome to prison terms ranging from 7 to 10 years, the court spokesperson Viktor Vasilyev has told RAPSI.

The prosecutor has demanded 8 years in prison for former CEO of Volga-Vyatka construction company (VVCC) Yevgeniya Degtyareva, 10 years in prison for her father Sergey Degtyarev, who is believed to be the real owner of the company, and 7 years in prison for ex-VVCC managers Alexander Bazankov and Murat Matuyev each, according to the court’s representative.

Moreover, the prosecutor asked the court to fine Degtyareva 1.2 million rubles, her father 1.5 million rubles, Bazankov and Matuyev 1 million rubles each.

Sentencing of the defendants, who stand charged with embezzlement and money laundering, is scheduled for February 12.

The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The first launch vehicle operation was carried out on April 28, 2016.

Dozens of cases over construction of Vostochny Cosmodrome have been launched in several Russian regions.