Moscow court confirms Berezovsky sentence

MOSCOW, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- A Moscow court rejected an appeal filed on behalf of Boris Berezovsky, a businessman convicted of stealing $40 million from Aeroflot Co.

Berezovsky, living in Great Britain as a political refugee, was tried in absentia and sentenced to six years in prison for the crime. Prosecutors say he bilked Aeroflot of nearly $40 million through a complicated scheme that involved moving reserve funds to the Bank of Switzerland in an account controlled by the Andava Firm, of which Berezovsky was one of the directors.

Berezovsky also, "persuaded Aeroflot Director-General Yevgeny Shaposhnikov, using dishonest means, to appoint his accomplices to managerial posts in Aeroflot," the sentence said, Itar-Tass reported.

Berezovsky is also wanted in Russia in the theft of $13 million from SBS-Agro Bank, the report said.

His lawyer, whom Berezovsky did not contact during the trial, will not appeal Monday's ruling, the report said.