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Russia opens another case into embezzlement at Vostochny cosmodrome

A new criminal case has been opened into the misappropriation of more than $935,000 during the construction of the spaceport's facilities in the Russian Far East, the Interior Ministry said

MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. A new criminal case has been opened into the misappropriation of more than 50 million rubles ($935,000) during the construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome facilities in the Russian Far East, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The case materials include another contractor," the ministry’s press service said. In early April, a criminal case was opened into the embezzlement of 48 million rubles against the management of a contracting organization.

Investigators found that a limited liability company received an advance payment of 50.5 million rubles between November 2014 and January 2015 under an agreement on implementing a package of works at one of the spaceport’s facilities.

"The organization failed to perform the work in full and provide the report documentation on implementing the works, and spent the funds for its own financial and business needs and for personal purposes," the ministry said.

The Vostochny spaceport is being built near the town of Uglegorsk in the Amur region, Russia’s Far East. The spaceport, which has been under construction since 2010, is scheduled to be completed by November 30, 2015.

The cosmodrome construction is personally controlled by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

In early April, Rogozin inspected the construction site in connection with a strike of the workers and delays in the facility construction schedule. On the inspection results Rogozin accused the former leadership of the Defence Ministry of poor control over the construction of the cosmodrome.