MOSCOW, May 16 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court has extended detention of two former high-ranking investigators General Denis Nikandrov and Alexander Lamonov in a bribery case, the court’s press service has told RAPSI.

Former First Deputy Head of the Investigative Committee’s Moscow Directorate, General Denis Nikandrov will stay detained until June 19, while Alexander Lamonov, former Deputy of ex-chief of the Investigative Committee’s Internal Security Directorate Mikhail Maksimenko, will remain in jail until July 19.

Nikandrov, Maksimenko, and his deputy Lamonov have been arrested and detained as part of a case over extortion of 8 million rubles (about $138,000 at the current exchange rate) that involved an alleged gang leader Zakhariy Kalashov. In addition, investigators believe that they extorted 10 million rubles (about $170,000) from a head of a large joint-stock company. The defendants denied their communications with Kalashov.

On April 20, Maksimenko was found guilty of taking two bribes. The defendant was also fined 165 million rubles ($2.8 million).

According to prosecutors, in 2016, Maksimenko and his accomplice received $500,000 bribe for help with one of criminal cases. He was also charged with taking $50,000 bribe in 2015 for organizing unlawful criminal prosecution of law enforcement officers in the interests of a bribe-giver.