Russian Swapped State Secrets For Mercedes

Russian Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin was one of the witnesses called in the trial (file photo) (ITAR-TASS)

July 27, 2006 -- A Moscow court has sentenced an official from the Finance Ministry to 10 years in a labor camp for passing on state secrets in return for a Mercedes.

One businessman was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in jail and another to one year and nine months for offering the bribe.

The car was worth $110,000 dollars.

Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin appeared as a witness in the trial.

(AFP)