MOSCOW, October 4 (RAPSI) – Ex- deputy director of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) Oleg Korshunov convicted of embezzlement has filed a motion seeking to release him because of grave illness, the court’s press service has told RAPSI.

Moscow’s Lefortovsky District Court will hear the petition on October 20.

In December 2020, the Moscow City Court upheld a 9-year prison term passed on Korshunov in a case over supplies of sugar and motor fuel for FSIN. However, the court reduced an 8-year jail sentence of another defendant Svetlana Alekseyeva by 6 months but banned her from holding public posts for 6 years.

According to the sentence, Korshunov was convicted of embezzling over 155 million rubles (over $2 million) for assistance in conclusion of state contracts on sugar and fuel deliveries. The contractual prices were above-market; supplies were conducted through firms under the control of Korshunov’s friends.

In November, the Second Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction dismissed Korshunov’s appeal against a 7-year prison sentence given to him in another case. In July 2019, Korshunov received the prison term and was fined 900,000 rubles (about $14,000). In addition, he was divested of his service grade and forbidden to hold public offices for 3 years.

Investigators claimed that in 2015 Korshunov had conspired with CEO of Russian footwear company Datse Group, Smbat Arutyunyan, and the head of state-run production company FSIN Russia Vitaly Morusov. Allegedly, Korshunov ordered to use prisoner labor to manufacture footwear from cheap materials provided by Datse Group. Later, he allegedly facilitated signing of a state contract with FSIN Russia. Korshunov and Morusov pleaded not guilty.

Korshunov was appointed to the post of FSIN deputy head in March 2014. He has been bestowed the rank of Full State Counsellor 2nd Class of the Russian Federation. In October 2017, President Vladimir Putin relieved him of the post.