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Sentence imposed over former Director-General of Sovkomflot OJSC and his accomplices

The evidence gathered by the Main Investigations Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation was found by the court to be sufficient to sentence in absentia former Director-General of Sovkomflot OJSC (Modern Commercial Fleet) Dmitry Skarga, former president of Novoship OJSC (Novorossiysk Shipping Company) Tagir Izmaylov, and Yury Nikitin. In accordance with their part, they were found guilty of offences under Parts 1 and 3 of Article 210, Part 2 of Article 201, Part 4 of Article 160, and Part 3 of Article 174.1 of the Criminal Code of Russia (establishing and operation of a criminal community, abuse of authority, embezzlement, legalization of funds acquired by a person in an illegal way).

The investigation and the court established that, in 2001-2005, Skarga, Izmaylov, and other participants of the criminal community established by Yury Nikitin had embezzled the money of the affiliated companies of Sovkomflot OJSC, as well as of Novoship OJSC and its affiliated companies. The money had been stolen through an increase of the service fee to foreign brokers during the execution of deals for the sale of ships belonging to Sovkomflot OJSC and Novoship OJSC. Upon receiving the service fee by the brokers, its surplus part had been transferred to the accounts of the companies controlled by the members of the criminal community. Thus, over 8 billion rubles had been stolen. After that, some part of stolen property had been legalized.

The investigative authorities twice sent requests for extradition of the named individuals to the United Kingdom, but they were refused. The court sentenced Skarga, in absentia, to 12 years of imprisonment, Izmaylov to 11 years of imprisonment, Nikitin to 15 years of imprisonment. As an additional measure of punishment, the court also ruled to confiscate the defendants’ property.