Russia's ex- economic development minister sentenced to 8 years in prison

Moscow [Russia], Dec 15 (ANI): Russia's former economic development minister, Alexei Ulyukayev on Friday was found guilty of accepting a $2 million bribe and was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment.

Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky court, "found that Ulyukayev is guilty of taking a large-scale bribe," reported Russian news agency TASS, citing, Judge Larisa Semyonova as saying.

Ulyukayev pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial and continued to maintain his innocence up until the verdict announcement.

The 61-year-old Ulyukaev, in November 2016, was accused of accepting a $2-million bribe from Rosneft CEO Igor Sechinfor in return for his ministry's support of a positive appraisal that would allow Russian energy company Rosneft to buy the state's shares of the Bashneft oil company.

He is the highest-ranking Russian official to have been convicted on corruption charges.

Ulyukayev was dismissed from his high-ranking post by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the ground of loss of trust last year in November.

The ex-minister has been under house arrest ever since then, the report said.(ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI