Five Bulgarian computer specialists were sentenced to two and a half years each after a Dubai court said they were guilty on charges of financial fraud.

Kiril Mantovski, 23, Victor Lazarov, 21, Svetozar Kolev, 40, Lyubomir Megov, 32, and Velin Nedelchev, 21, were found guilty of draining unspecified amounts of money from three banks using illegal credit cards and checks, as well as unauthorized receipt of bank loans.

The lawsuit against the men was initiated after a complaint by Dubai banks.

The investigation has revealed that the cards were issued upon request of the Lebanese employers of the Bulgarians hired at Dubai-registered MI Electronics. Bulgarian defense insisted the Lebanese employers were actually the final recipients of the money.

According to local press reports, the five Bulgarians testified they were tortured into making confessions during the preliminary investigation.

The Bulgarian defendants, who have already spent nine months in jail, have a 15-day window to appeal the verdicts.

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