MOSCOW, January 18 - RAPSI. Opposition blogger Alexei Navalny has been officially charged under the Kirovles case and faces 10 years behind bars, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told RIA Novosti.

"He refused to give evidence. The investigation of his case is nearing completion," Markin added

Navalny has been accused of plotting to embezzle corporate property and may be imprisoned for up to 10 years.

The high-profile Kirovles logging company embezzlement case was initiated in 2011. Investigators believe that Navalny, who at the time served as an adviser to the Kirov Region Governor, plotted the embezzlement of Kirovles property.

It is claimed that over 10,000 cubic meters of Kirovles timber products were embezzled from May to September 2009, leading to regional budgetary losses of 16 million rubles ($496,820).

Vyacheslav Opalyov, Kirovles CEO and one of the defendants in the case, was acquitted in December, 2012.

A second case against Navalny was initiated in December. He and his brother are charged with embezzling over 55 million rubles ($1.7 million) from a trade firm.

Navalny wrote on Twitter on Friday that he had been to the Investigative Committee.

"I went to the Investigative Committee, where they gave me the new list of the 11 people investigating the Navalny brothers case," he tweeted.