MAN CHARGED FOR STEALING SH4 BILLION FROM KRA.

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A 28 year old Alex Mutungi Mutuku accused of hacking Kenya Revenue Authority financial system on Tuesday March 21,2017 (PHOTO S.A.N).
BY SAM ALFAN.
A man who has stolen Sh4 billion from Kenya Revenue Authority has been charged with hacking the taxman’s financial system.

A 28 year old Alex Mutungi Mutuku accused of  committing the offense between March 2015 and March this year.

Mr Mutungi is accused of fraudulently causing the loss of Sh3, 985,663,858 from the Kenya Revenue Authority after allegedly interfering with the institution’s computer systems.

The accused was arrested as a result of a multi-agency security operation was conducted within Nairobi after police received information that banks and other institutions were losing cash through suspicious electronic transactions.

Court was told that several electronic gadgets, including mobile phones, computers, hard drives, digital video recorders and servers were seized during the operation and forwarded to the cyber forensic laboratory for analysis.

“During the operation several electronic gadgets including computers, hand disks,Digital Video recorders (DVR’s) and severs were seized and forwarded to the cyber forensic laboratory analyst” stated affidavit.

Prosecution, through lawyers Edward Okello and Kadebe, also told court that a print out of data from seized items would fill two large rooms.

They sought for the suspect to be detained for 40 days and nights because he is a threat to national security. They claimed that data analysed so far indicates that the accused works with suspects outside the country.

The prosecution also claimed that the suspect could abscond trial if released on bond and that he would likely interfere with the forensic analysis.

“The offence committed by the accused person posses threat to National security and has led to less of approximately Kshs 3,985,663,855= National and financial institutions” said Okello.

The suspect has a pending case on a cyber crime related offense.

Defence lawyer Ms Tacey Makori protested against further detension of the accused, saying police had not shown evidence of what has been gathered in the 14 days he has been in custody.

She further claimed that the police have not ruled out the possibility of intruders accessing the seized gadgets.

She also urged the court to consider the penalty for the offense allegedly committed which is a jail term of three years or a maximum fine of Sh 200,000 instead of the value of the monies in the charge he is currently facing.

He denied the charge of electronic fraud before Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi.

The accused is facing the similar criminal offence related to cyber fraud pending before city court.

Court heard Mr Mutungi has traveled to Uganda,Rwanda, Tanzania and India.

He was remanded until March 28 when the court will rule on his bail application.

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