A top Russian Defence Ministry official was found guilty of fraud and forgery in connection with an embezzlement scheme at a military theme park and was given a six-year prison sentence on Thursday, According to the local media.
Major General Vladimir Shesterov was arrested last August for his
involvement in the plot at Patriot Park, a war-themed tourist destination south of Moscow.
Prosecution is also pending against two additional men, including former deputy defense minister Pavel Popov.
Reports say Shesterov and the former director of the park, Vyacheslav Akhmedov, who is also in custody, forged documents related to completed construction work at the park in the amount of some 26 million roubles ($332,000).
Read Also
The scandal at Patriot Park is one in a slew of criminal cases against former top officials that have engulfed the Russian army in recent months.
Shesterov fully admitted guilt, but insisted he had not received any material benefit from the scheme.
Akhmedov has also entered a guilty plea in his trial.
The case against Popov, the former deputy defence minister, is ongoing.
Local media reported that Popov had instructed Shesterov and Akhmedov to build him a two-storey house, a guest house with a sauna, and a two-storey garage on land Popov owned in the Moscow region – with the Defence Ministry footing the bill.
Popov has previously denied wrongdoing.
Patriot Park displays a vast collection of Russian and Soviet weaponry, and offers visitors the chance to clamber on tanks and take part in combat simulations.
