MOSCOW, March 3 - RAPSI. High-ranking officials of Moscow Region Tax Inspectorate No. 9 have been heavily fined and given lengthy prison sentences for extorting a $149,160 bribe.

Artyom Kozlov, the head of the tax inspectorate, was sentenced to eight years in prison. He was also obligated to pay a $16,950 fine.
Another official Alexander Samorukov was given seven years in prison and fined $6,780.

According to investigators, Kozlov, Samorukov and their mutual acquaintance Oleg Markov illegally helped companies and organizations resolve tax issues. Specifically, they offered to solve a problem on compensating VAT worth over 46 million rubles ($1.55 million) to companies. They requested $4.4 million ($149,160) for these services.

Markov was arrested during the money transfer. The tax officials were also detained.

Markov was sentenced to four years in prison.