Russian Court Hands Down Long Sentences to Law Officials

(MENAFN) A court in Moscow has handed severe prison sentences to six law enforcement officials, among them two senior members of the Investigative Committee, after convicting them of manufacturing evidence as part of an extortion plot.

On Monday, the court ruled that the defendants had established an organized criminal group and were guilty of bribery as well as falsifying case materials. Prosecutors stated that the group colluded to take over a major company by launching a bogus criminal investigation against its shareholders. In exchange for dropping the invented accusations, they allegedly demanded a bribe of 15 billion rubles ($200 million).

Among those involved were two department heads from the Investigative Committee, Sergey Romodanovsky and Rustam Yusupov, both of whom are sons of prominent figures within Russia’s law enforcement establishment. Romodanovsky’s father, Konstantin, who has since died, served as head of the Russian Federal Migration Service from 2005 until 2016.

The case also implicated three additional participants: an investigator, an officer from the FSB, and a counterintelligence representative, all identified as accomplices. A lawyer reportedly served as the go-between, facilitating communication between the group and the targeted victims.

In total, all six defendants received prison terms ranging from 14 to 19 years. Each of them denied wrongdoing, and their legal teams have announced plans to challenge the ruling through an appeal.

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