Former Sovcomflot boss handed lengthy jail sentence
The former CEO of Russia’s largest shipping line has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in absentia for embezzling RUB8bn ($130m).
Dmitry Skarga was the CEO of Sovcomflot for five years through to 2005. His accomplices, ex-president of Novorossiysk Shipping Company (Novoship) Tagir Izmaylov and gang organizer Yury Nikitin, received 11 and 15 years in prison respectively. Additionally, a court ordered the defendants’ assets to be seized.
The three men are currently in the UK, where extradition requests sent by Russian authorities have so far been denied.
In the ongoing crackdown of Russian oligarchs another big name in the local shipping scene, billionaire Ziyavudin Magomedov was arrested at the start of the month on charges of embezzling over $35m of federal budgets.
Magomedov is the owner of trading and investment company Summa Group, which owns controlling stakes in Fesco Transportation Group, the Commercial Port of Vladivostok, Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port and United Grain Company.