Lawyer for ex-minister Ulyukayev contests prison term sentence

MOSCOW, Dec 19 (PRIME) -- A lawyer for former Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev has filed an appeal against a court sentence of eight years in prison under a bribery case, spokeswoman for the court Emilia Khil told PRIME on Tuesday.

“A brief appeal by one of the lawyers has arrived to the court,” Khil said.

Ulyukayev, the first government official arrested on suspicions of corruption, allegedly received a U.S. $2 million bribe in November 2016 for a positive outlook on privatization of oil company Bashneft by Rosneft. He pleaded not guilty in August 2017 and said it was a setup organized by Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and the Federal Security Service.

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