MOSCOW, June 25 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court mitigated the sentence to three Africans convicted of embezzling a minimum of 900 million rubles ($26.5 million) from foreign commercial enterprises under the guise of famous Russian companies, according to the court’s press office.

Two citizens of Nigeria, Sylvester Onvuka and Oboro Emuedzhevoke Roy, and Cameroonian Etienne Mbega were detained in 2012. The group used fake national passports with names and surnames based on major Russian companies such as Gazprom, Murmansk Shipping Company and Rosneft.

According to the court verdict, they embezzled $26.5 million from foreign companies operating in the European Union, the United States and Southeast Asia.

Investigators found that the criminals posted proposals on the Internet for the sale of various minerals, other goods (rails, electric locomotives and so forth) and gave details and addresses of non-existing companies.

They agreed to supply goods after receiving an obligatory advance payment. But as soon as the funds were transferred, they broke off contact and vanished. All business correspondence was undertaken from computers in rented apartments in Moscow.

The court mitigated the sentence of Etienne Mbega from 5 to 4 years and 11 months in prison. The sentence of Sylvester Onvuka was reduced from 7 to 6 years and 10 months. The sentence of Oboro Emuedzhevoke Roy was mitigated for 6 months. He will serve 3.5 years in prison. The court also fined the convicts 650,000 rubles ($19,128) in total.