MOSCOW, October 26 (RAPSI, Yevgeniya Sokolova) – The Moscow City Court on Wednesday upheld the sentence given to Sergei Ostrovsky, ex-Chief Engineer of State Design Institute for Special Construction, for embezzling over 14.5 million rubles ($233,700) allocated for the construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

Therefore, the court dismissed an appeal filed by Ostrovsky’s defense. The sentence has taken effect.

In June, the Gagarinsky District Court of Moscow sentenced Ostrovsky to 5 years in prison and additionally fined him 800,000 rubles ($12,900).

Moreover, the court upheld seizure of interests in the apartments, several land plots in the Kaluga region, Land Cruiser owned by the engineer, over 36 million rubles ($580,200) and foreign currency accounts.

Prosecution asked the court to give him a 7-year prison sentence and fine him one million rubles ($16,100). Ostrovsky pleaded not guilty and motioned for acquittal.

Ostrovsky was arrested in November 2014. He was charged with being involved in an embezzlement scheme during the construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome that resulted in billions of rubles in damages. Investigators claimed that the money had been stolen as part of Dalspetsstroy’s activity, the major contractor in the construction.

The construction of the space center, due to become Russia's main launch site, began in 2012. The facility is planned to be completed in 2016.