MOSCOW, July 11 (RAPSI, Yevgeniya Sokolova) – The Moscow City Court has given a 3-year prison sentence to Gennady Sobolev, ex-officer of the Interior Ministry's Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Department, for abuse of authority, the court’s press office told RAPSI on Tuesday.

Additionaly, he was stripped of the police major rank and prohibited from holding posts in law enforcement agencies for 3 years.

Earlier, former chiefs of the Ministry’s anti-corruption department and their subordinates were found guilty of abuse of office, provocation of bribery and organization of a criminal gang, and sentenced to prison terms varying from 17 to 22 years.

Ex-head of the Interior Ministry's Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Department, Lieutenant General Denis Sugrobov, received 22 years in high-security prison.

According to investigators, Sugrobov and Kolesnikov tried to provoke a Federal Security Service (FSB) officer by offering him $10,000 a month for his protection. Sugrobov has been charged with organizing a criminal group, abuse of power and bribery.

Kolesnikov was arrested in February 2014. In June, he jumped out of a window during questioning at the Investigative Committee. Later the Basmanny District Court said no evidence was found of assisted suicide.

In total, 10 people became defendants in this case with case materials making about 400 volumes. Thirty persons were recognized as aggrieved parties, thirteen of whom filed suits seeking to recover in total 218 million rubles (about $3.5 million) from the defendants. Later, victims withdrew their claims.

Sugrobov, 41, is one of the youngest police generals. He obtained the rank of Lieutenant General at the age of 36.