MOSCOW: The Moscow City Court on Monday reduced the sentence given to Ruslan Lagutkin, deputy head of Russia’s Federal Customs Service, for embezzling 38 million rubles (over $591,000), to 5.5 years in prison, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.
In July 2015, the Basmanny District Court in Moscow sentenced Lagutkin to 6 years in prison.
Investigators established that Lagutkin used his official capacity to procure equipment for the customs service at double the standard price. He claimed to have scrutinized the market before doing so.
Lagutkin also falsified documents so that only the companies he controlled could take part in the tender. Authorities have estimated damages from his activity at 38 million rubles (over $591,000).
It was previously reported that a member of Lagutkin’s criminal group was found guilty and received a four-year suspended sentence.
