MOSCOW, January 16 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Lefortovsky District Court on Thursday sentenced a former deputy chairman of the government of Russia’s Republic of Dagestan Shamil Isayev to 4.5 years in prison as part of an embezzlement case, RAPSI reported from the courtroom.

The former Dagestani official was found guilty of aiding and abetting embezzlement of more than 80 million rubles ($1.3 million) allocated for repair works at a local tourist camp.

However, Isayev denies his guilt and is going to appeal against the ruling.

Isayev was arrested in February 2018 along with several other republican officials, acting chairman of Dagestan’s government Abdusamad Gamidov and acting deputy chairman Rayudin Yusufov.

In October 2019, Gamidov was sentenced to 6.5 year behind bars while Yusufov received 5.6 years in jail for embezzling 41 million rubles.