MOSCOW, February 24 (RAPSI) – A court in Nizhny Novgorod has sentenced ex-Governor of Mari El Republic Leonid Markelov to 13 years in high-security prison in a 235 million-ruble (over $3 million) bribery case, RAPSI has learnt in the press service of Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office.

Additionally, he has been fined 235.8 million rubles and banned from holding certain posts for 3 years, according to the statement.

Moreover, the court has granted a 9 million-ruble civil lawsuit filed by the Mari El Republic’s Finance Ministry.

In November, prosecutors urged to jail Markelov for 17 years, his attorney Igor Trunov told RAPSI. According to the lawyer, the prosecution demanded 10 and 4.5 years behind bars for two other defendants businessperson Natalia Kozhanova and Markelov’s ex-deputy Iraida Dolgusheva respectively.

Investigators believe that Markelov acting as the republic’s governor received through Kozhanova 235 million rubles from the founder of Akashevskaya factory Nikolay Krivash as a bribe for common protection and assistance in the property payment of funds provided by the state support for development of the agricultural complex.

According to defense lawyer Sergey Sevruk, Markelov is also a defendant in another criminal case over illegal possession of ammunition. Media also reported that there is the third case against the former official over abuse of power.

Markelov pled not guilty to all accusations.