MOSCOW, October 23 (RAPSI) – The Chertanovsky District Court of Moscow has found ex-president of the Russian Basketball Federation (RBF) Yulia Anikeyeva guilty of embezzling 44 million rubles (about $766,000 at the current exchange rate), RAPSI correspondent reports from the courtroom on Monday.

The court is reading out sentence against Anikeyeva and former chief accountant of the RBF, Mikhail Kocharyan, who died in October 2016. The defendants were found guilty of large-scale embezzlement  conducted by a group of persons on preliminary conspiracy and with the use of their work position.

The court found out that Anikeyeva, Kocharyan, accountant Yelena Silina and unnamed accomplice, who is tried as part of a separate criminal case, embezzled RBF’s funds.

A criminal case was launched against Anikeyeva in December 2015 based on the results of financial audit conducted at the RBF after a change of management. Kocharyan died in October 2016 after extended illness. His relatives objected to termination of his criminal prosecution without Kocharyan being rehabilitated in court.

Investigators believe that between February 20, 2014 and August 24, 2015, Anikeyeva and her accomplices embezzled over 44 million rubles by signing fictitious civil law contracts with private entrepreneurs. Money was allegedly cashed in and transferred to Silina who in her turn transferred it Kocharyan.

Anikeyeva has pleaded not guilty.

In March 2017, the court found Silina guilty of aiding embezzlement and sentenced her to 3.5 years in prison.