Russia"s Defense Ministry rubbished on Saturday...

Media reports alleged corruption over the sale of Mercedes vehicles to the ministry.

Daimler was fined $185 million by a U.S. court earlier in April after admitting to paying tens of millions of dollars of bribes to foreign governments.

"The Defense Ministry has never purchased and does not purchase Mercedes vehicles," a spokesman said.

The Russian business daily Kommersant said that in 2000-2005 alone, Russian officials received some 5.02 million euros ($6.7 million) and around 80,000 German marks (more than $54,000) as government contract payoffs from the German auto giant, which accounts for 7.8% of the total worth of the contracts signed during that period.

The paper quoted a source close to the country"s service providing security to Russian top officials as saying a total of 100 Mercedes were purchased under compromised contracts.

MOSCOW, April 24 (RIA Novosti)