Russia: Hands Official Stiff Bribery Sentence

Itar-Tass: Viktor Timashov


Hands Official Stiff Bribery Sentence
The Moscow Times
In an unusually harsh ruling, a senior Chelyabinsk official Thursday was sentenced to 10 years in prison for accepting bribes totaling around $260,000.
The Chelyabinsk Regional Court convicted Deputy Governor Court
of organizing a system of extortions and bribes from the heads of companies looking to use the region's natural resources, Interfax reported.
In addition to the 10-year sentence, which he will serve in a maximum security prison, Timashov was fined around $30,000 and banned from public service for three years.
The court cleared Timashov on counts of abuse of office and money laundering.
Timashov was not expecting such a harsh sentence and plans to appeal the verdict, his lawyers told Interfax.
Prosecutors had pushed for the maximum sentence -- 12 years -- and a $40,000 fine.
Following the investigation, authorities froze about $1 million of Timashov's assets and $180,000 in a relative's account, Interfax reported.
Two other officials were tried in the same case. Senior natural resources official Eduard Vagin was acquitted on all counts.
Alexander Losev, the deputy chief of a company called Prodmontazh, pled guilty and was handed a five-year suspended sentence.