MOSCOW, January 14 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court has dismissed appeals against sentence of the Moscow City Duma lawmaker Oleg Sheremetyev for embezzling 2 million rubles (about $30,000), the court’s press service has told RAPSI.

In October 2020, Sheremetyev received a 4-year suspended sentence with further 4-year probation. The Zamoskvoretsky District Court also granted a 2.1 million-ruble civil claim filed by an injured party.

A prosecutor earlier demanded a 4-year suspended sentence with 5-year probation for Sheremetyev. 

According to investigators, from November 2019 to February 2020, Sheremetyev monthly prepared and submitted to the Duma office documents on bonus awards ranging from 350,000 to 600,000 rubles for his assistant. The data contained intentionally false information on the fulfillment of highly sensitive tasks by his subordinate. In fact, Sheremetyev embezzled the funds. He allegedly caused damage worth over 2 million rubles to the Moscow budget.

The defendant pleaded not guilty. He claimed that accusations were based on testimony of Irina Kuznetsova who exacted revenge on him for withdrawal of her status of parliamentary assistant.