"The collected ... evidence was recognized by the court as sufficient for a verdict," RIA Novosti quoted the agency as saying.

Zaikin and Pashkevich were sentenced to eight years' imprisonment in a strict regime colony, Pushchin - eight and a half years.

At the same time, each of the ex-officials is prohibited by law from holding positions in state and local government bodies for a period of five to ten years.

Earlier, the UK announced that the chief engineer of the capital construction department of ALROSA had received a bribe in the amount of more than 4 million rubles for assistance in concluding an additional agreement between the company and another commercial enterprise.