AN Egyptian expatriate has denied the theft and illegal sale of 16 smartphones worth more than BD10,000 at the Lower Criminal Court.
The 27-year-old, a client for a delivery company, has also denied charges of tampering with a computerised system as well as electronic fraud.
The Cybercrimes Deputy Prosecutor said that the Public Prosecution had completed its investigations regarding the alleged distortion of information technology systems of a delivery company by a customer – the 27-year-old – who is accused of pocketing the phones without paying for them before selling them on.
An earlier statement by the Cybercrimes Prosecutor revealed that investigations held simultaneously with the Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Prosecution have tracked missing funds to the accused’s unknown foreign partner who is reportedly still at large.
“The delivery company had reported that the accused requested these devices in batches and after receiving them the electronic system was checked and it was found that he had electronically manipulated the company’s system to receive the devices without paying for them,” case documents suggest.
“The Public Prosecution immediately launched its investigation following the report, in collaboration with the Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Prosecution. It revealed that the accused collaborated with an unknown assailant abroad to manipulate the company’s system to indicate that the devices were paid for – when, in fact, they weren’t.
“The 27-year-old then seized the devices, sold them and transferred the funds abroad.”
According to a company employee, the 27-year-old had made previous attempts to hack into the company’s electronic system illegally last year, the court heard.
In his statement to the Public Prosecution, the employee reaffirmed that the defendant’s attempts were thwarted, however he later discovered a loophole in the system which allowed him to carry out the alleged crime.
The company submitted a technical report revealing the mechanism used by the accused man to distort the company’s system.
The Public Prosecution had also ordered an examination of the 27-year-old’s phone which resulted in the discovery of evidence proving his involvement in the crime, along with the unknown assailant.
The trial was yesterday adjourned until Tuesday for review.
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