MOSCOW, December 26 (RAPSI) – The Far East District Military Court in Russia’s Khabarovsk has sentenced former head of Dalspetsstroy building company, Yury Khrizman, to 12 years in a penal colony for abuse of office and embezzling 5.2 billion rubles ($92.8 million) during construction of Vostochny Cosmodrome, the court’s press-service reports.

The defendant was also fined 1.5 million rubles ($26,700). His son, entrepreneur Mikhail Khrizman, head accountant Vladimir Ashihmin and former chairman of the Legislative Duma of Khabarovsk Krai Victor Chudov were also sentenced to prison terms varying from 5.5 to 7 years in prison. Mikhail Khrizman was fined 800,000 rubles ($14,200) while Chudov was fined 900,000 rubles ($16,000).

According to the case documents, the defendants acting as an organized criminal group embezzled about 106 million rubles ($1.8 million) belonging to Dalspetsstroy in 2006-2009. Victims in the case are Dalspetsstroy company and Roscosmos space corporation. Investigators added that Yury Khrizman and Ashihmin abused their authority by misusing money allocated for the Cosmodrome construction and caused damage to Russia valued at 5.2 billion rubles.

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.