MOSCOW, September 21 (RAPSI) – The Supreme Court of Russia will review a ruling in the case of Denis Nikandrov, a former high-ranking investigator of Russia’s Investigative Committee, sentenced to 5.5 years in a penal colony for corruption, the court’s database reads.

In August, the Moscow City Court sentenced Nikandrov to 5 years and 6 months in prison with no fine. The defendant was also prohibited from holding law enforcement posts for 3 years and deprived him of his General rank.

The trial was held behind closed doors due to secret information contained in the case documents. The case was reviewed without evidence examination and witness questioning as the defendant pleaded guilty and made a deal with investigators.

Ex-First Deputy Head of the Investigative Committee’s Moscow Directorate, General Nikandrov, former Deputy of ex-chief of the Investigative Committee’s Internal Security Directorate Mikhail Maksimenko, and his deputy Alexander Lamonov have been arrested and detained as part of a case over extortion of 8 million rubles (about $138,000 at the current exchange rate) that involved an alleged gang leader Zakhariy Kalashov.

In addition, investigators believe that they extorted 10 million rubles (about $170,000) from a head of a large joint-stock company. The defendants denied their communications with Kalashov.

On April 20, Maksimenko was found guilty of taking two bribes and received a 13-year prison sentence. The defendant was also fined 165 million rubles ($2.8 million).

According to prosecutors, in 2016, Maksimenko and his accomplice received $500,000 bribe for help with one of criminal cases. He was also charged with taking $50,000 bribe in 2015 for organizing unlawful criminal prosecution of law enforcement officers in the interests of a bribe-giver.

On July 26, the court sentenced Lamonov to 5 years in prison for corruption. Additionally, he was also fined 32 million rubles ($508,000) and lost his rank.