MOSCOW, July 8 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Gagarinsky District Court on Friday sentenced deputy CEO of Aeroflot air carrier Vladimir Aleksandrov to 7 years in penal colony for embezzling money during the conclusion of legal service agreements, the court’s press service told RAPSI.

Additionally, he was fined 200,000 rubles (over $3,000). 

Lawyers Alexander Slivko and Dina Kibets received 6.5 and 6 years behind bars with fines of 650,000 (over $10,000) and 600,000 respectively. One more defendant, ex-employee of Aeroflot’s legal department Tatiana Davydova, was ordered to 6.5 years in jail and a 700,000-ruble fine ($11,000).

A  prosecutor earlier demanded 9 years in jail  and 1 million-ruble fine (about $16,000) for each defendant.

It was found that in 2016 Aleksandrov organized conclusion of four legal service contracts with Slivko and Kibets in order to embezzle the Aeroflot funds. According to investigators, there was no need for this as the company was represented in courts by its legal department’s employees.

From 2016 to 2017, the defendant coordinated the provision of external legal services for the company at the rate of 350 euros per hour, the case papers read. Thus, the attorney received over 250 million rubles.

The defendants and several witnesses questioned in court insisted that the work of prosecuted lawyers was done well. According to the defense, inhouse lawyers could not to fulfill assignments done by Slivko and Kibets as they had no the status of attorney. Moreover, according to the witnesses, the defendants’ working costs was similar to other lawyers engaged in the official capacity.