Russia seeks 14 years for Norwegian on spy charges

Russian prosecutors on Tuesday called for a 14-year prison sentence for a Norwegian accused by Moscow of spying on its nuclear submarines.

A verdict in the trial of 63-year-old Frode Berg is expected on April 16, prosecutor Milana Digayeva was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

She urged that Berg serve the sentence in a strict penal camp, Interfax said.

Berg's trial was held behind closed doors and he rejects the charges brought against him.

The Norwegian was detained in Moscow in 2017 following a sting operation by Russia's FSB security service.

A former Russian police officer accused of handing Berg files on the Russian navy was sentenced in December to 13 years in prison.

Berg admitted to acting several times as a courier for the Norwegian intelligence services, but said he thought he was only carrying money.

President Vladimir Putin commented on the case Tuesday during a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg after hosting the International Arctic Forum in Saint Petersburg.

"As in any country, our courts determine the punishment, responsibility and guilt or innocence" of a person accused of committing a crime, Russian agencies quoted Putin as saying.

Asked if Berg could possibly be pardoned, Putin remarked that "a person can only be pardoned if he has been convicted. He has not been convicted yet."

Norway, a NATO member, normally enjoys good relations with neighbouring Russia, with which it shares a short land border.

But those relations have grown more tense since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and a pro-Russian insurgency erupted in eastern Ukraine.

Russian prosecutors expose $25 million fraud in defence sector
Moscow (AFP) April 9, 2019 - Russia's general prosecutor said Tuesday he had uncovered embezzlement worth more than $24 million from the country's state-run space and defence companies last year.

In a report destined for senators cited by Russian media, General Prosecutor Yury Chaika said 1.6 billion rubles ($24.7 million) was embezzled by companies headed by the state-run technology agency Rostec and space agency Roscosmos.

The funds were "intended for the modernisation of production capacities and the creation of some of the most advanced weapons," the document said.

Rostec, a public holding company with over 500,000 employees, oversees weapons manufacturers.

It confirmed the investigation against the holding company and said its own security services in 2018 helped "prevent damage in the amount of 3.4 billion rubles", the equivalent of $52.5 million.

Roscosmos said it had "actively contributed" to the prosecution's investigation.

The Kremlin on Tuesday said it will pay "great attention" to the companies concerned.

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny called the scandal an "unprecedented affair" on his Twitter account.

Several corruption scandals have hit Russia's defence and space sectors in recent years.

The sectors collapsed with the fall of the USSR but were revived under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, who has lauded the "invincible" and "hypersonic" missiles currently being developed in Russia.

Corruption is endemic in Russia, where it is considered one of the main obstacles to economic development.

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