MOSCOW, December 18 (RAPSI) - International lawyer Yakov Melnikov has been convicted and sentenced to 4 years in penal colony for embezzling for €819,000 (over $33 million) entitled to the Russian Federation from the account of the Finance Ministry of the Netherlands, the Investigative Committee’s press service reports.

According to the investigation, Melnikov became aware of the money in the deposito account of the Dutch Finance Ministry. The funds were deposited by the Soviet Ministry of Communications in 1991 as a due for accession to Intelsat membership.

After the bankruptcy of Intelsat, in 2012 – 2013, Melnikov submitted forged documents to the Dutch authorities containing false information on the transfer of Russia’s right of claim to him and thus stole the money, the statement reads.