MOSCOW, May 5 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) – A court in Khabarovsk has opened hearings in the criminal case against former managers of Dalspetsstroy company and former Speaker of the Legislative Duma of Khabarovsk Krai over the alleged embezzlement at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the Investigative Committee’s official representative Vladimir Markin told RAPSI on Thursday.

“Defendants in the case are ex-CEO of Dalspetsstroy, Yuriy Khrizman, head accountant Vladimir Ashihmin, Mikhail Khrizman and former chairman of the The Legislative Duma of Khabarovsk Krai Victor Chudov. Defendants, depending on their respective roles, are accused of abuse of office and/or embezzlement crimes,” Markin said.

The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The facility opened on April 28, 2015.

Dalspetsstroy has repeatedly reported that the project was behind schedule at some sites but promised to catch up.

According to investigators, ex-CEO of Dalspetsstroy, Yuriy Khrizman, his son Mikhail and Viktor Chudov, Chairman of the Khabarovsk Krai Duma, embezzled about 106 million rubles ($1.6 million) belonging to the company. However, one criminal episode was uncovered within the investigation into the case over alleged embezzlement at Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Earlier a court in Russia’s Amur region has found CEO of the Vostochny Cosmodrome construction contractor Stroyindustriya-S, Sergei Terentyev, guilty of embezzlement and sentenced him to 11 years in penal colony.