Hackers cum businessmen who gained illegal access to Judiciary Finance systems and requested payment for supplying nothing, have been found guilty in a Nairobi court.
City Court Chief Magistrate Roselyne Onganyo found Henry Achoka, Dancun Bokela, Rueben Kirongothi and Martin Murathe guilty for coordinating to defraud the Judiciary money amounting to Sh 80,013,302 back in September 2013.
According to the Star, the four hackers who are said to be business persons gained access to the Judiciary systems and requested payments from the National Treasury through several existing and non-existing firms.
They were charged together with other nine suspects, including five Judiciary staff.
However, the Judiciary staff who were Ruth Wanjiku, Joab Ooko, Boru Guyo Benjamin Mutuku and Bennedict Abonyo, were acquitted for lack of enough evidence against them.
Former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Gladys Boss Sholei and Treasury official Kelvin Mutinda were among the 25 witnesses that the prosecutor presented to the court.
It was revealed that the scam was discovered after CFC Bank made a phone call to Mr Benedict Omollo, who was the then Finance Director at the Judiciary.
The matter was then reported to DCI who launched immediate investigations before it was discovered that 11 firms were involved in the scam, with each receiving money starting from Sh 2 million.
Four hackers were all found guilty for handling stolen property plus other different counts including stealing.
“In the same breath, I find that the prosecution successfully proved the alternative charge to count 11 of handling stolen property contrary to the law,” Magistrate Oganyo ruled.