Putin’s ex-minister awarded 8-year jail over $2m bribe

MOSCOW: A Russian court on Friday sentenced former economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev to eight years in a penal colony for taking a $2 million bribe from an ally of President Vladimir Putin. Ulyukayev is the highest-ranking official arrested in Putin's 17 years in power. The Moscow court ruled he must also pay a fine of 130 million roubles ($2.2 million) for taking for taking the bribe from Igor Sechin, head of the state oil giant Rosneft, in a sting operation. Judge Larisa Semyonova said the eight years would be served in a "harsh regime" colony in a sentence which was slightly below the 10 years demanded by prosecutors. Ulyukayev said the sentence was "unjust" and vowed to appeal. Before the ruling he made an effort to appear upbeat with reporters, saying he was expecting a fair hearing and gesturing only to a briefcase of documents when asked if he had brought any belongings with him.