MOSCOW, November 20. /TASS/. Russia’s investigators have launched more than 140 criminal cases into violations during the construction of the Vostochny spaceport in Russia’s Far East, and the total damage is valued at 10 bln rubles ($152.3 mln), Official Spokesman for the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office Alexander Kurennoy said.

"Since 2014, more than 140 criminal cases have been opened, and the damage was assessed at 10 bln rubles," Kurennoy said in an interview with the Efir Internet channel of the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office. According to the spokesman, 50 individuals have been sentenced, and this year sentences for 27 people were announced.

The prosecutors have revealed 17,000 law violations during the construction since 2014. More than 1,000 people have been held accountable, including officials. Among the violations were delayed construction, multibillion embezzlement of state funds and the administration’s negligence.

This year, the Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office found 78 law violations, and 23 mln rubles ($350,000) were returned to the state. Some 14 companies and officials were held accountable, Kurennoy noted.

The construction of the second stage of the Vostochny spaceport is carried out under the watchful eye, he noted.

The Vostochny spaceport’s construction began in the Far East’s Amur Region in 2012 on the area of 700 square kilometers. The first reports about wage arrears and that the deadline could be missed came the same year. In 2015, criminal cases were launched against the leadership of some contracting companies over wage arrears and the failure to meet their obligations.