MOSCOW, August 15 (RIA Novosti) - The Moscow City Court Tuesday sentenced an official from the Russian Industry and Energy Ministry to seven years in prison.
Alexander Miskov, a deputy head of the ministry's department for financial control and audit, was found guilty of taking bribes.
Miskov was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service on June 29, 2005. The investigation accused him of taking a bribe of 500,000 rubles ($18,633) and of an attempt to bribe another person with 1.6 million rubles ($59,627).
Miskov said he did not know there was money in the envelope he received. His lawyer said Miskov had celebrated his birthday the day before, and had thought the envelope contained a souvenir of the occasion.
The court took into account Miskov's two teenage daughters, one of whom is seriously ill, and handed down a seven-year sentence.
