MOSCOW, March 14 - RAPSI. The Military Prosecutor's Office of the Odintsovo Garrison has established that the dismissal of Swifts wing air force commander Valery Morozov was unlawful, his lawyer Alexander Vysotsky said at a meeting of the Moscow District Military Tribunal on Thursday.

Charges of bribery and extortion were pending against Morozov since October, 2012. According to the investigators, he accepted money from his employees in exchange for a "flexible" schedule. The court refused to uphold Morozov's appeal to close the case.

Morozov argues that his dismissal was unlawful because he was fired two days before the expiry of his contract, although he had not been charged or detained.

"The letter of dismissal sent to Colonel Morozov includes a positive character report and says that the reason for his dismissal is the case opened against him," the prosecutor's statement reads.

The prosecutor also said that the dismissal was contrary to the Constitution, according to which a person accused of a crime is considered innocent unless proved guilty by a court in strict compliance with legislation.

The Swifts have been performing since May 1991, when they first flew precise formation aerobatics in MiG-29 jets.