An IT expert who allegedly hacked a private company’s computer system and swindled the company out of some €41,000 by pretending to be one of the directors was granted bail after pleading not guilty upon arraignment. 

The case dates back to September, when the police received a report about the transaction to the tune of some €41,650 to the detriment of a local private company. 

Police investigations traced the funds to a Revolut account in the name of Jerico Spiteri, a 39-year-old Tarxien father who was formerly employed as IT expert with the company. 

Further investigations revealed how the suspect had allegedly accessed the company’s computer system, pretended to be one of the company directors and issued instructions to the finance department to transfer a sum into a particular account, explained the prosecution.

That email was revealed to have been fictitious and further investigations linked it to the accused’s home and workplace address. 

On Friday, Spiteri was charged with money laundering, fraud, making fraudulent gains, computer misuse as well as unauthorised use of a password, email or other means to access the company’s IT system. 

He pleaded not guilty. 

The prosecution requested a freezing order over all assets of the accused. 

That request was objected to by defence lawyer Christian Camilleri, who argued that the charges referred to one particular transaction involving funds which allegedly were later used to purchase a boat. 

So, if that sum was specific, why should a family man have all his assets frozen indiscriminately, argued the lawyer. 

Parte civile lawyer Stefano Filletti pointed out that although he understood the defence’s argument, the law did not allow limitation on such freezing orders which were issued on the totality of the accused’s assets. 

In fact, that issue had been raised before the constitutional courts in separate proceedings which were currently still pending, went on Filletti. 

The court, presided over by magistrate Nadine Lia, upheld the prosecution’s request. 

The defence then requested bail which was not objected to by the prosecution as long as adequate conditions were imposed to ensure that there would be no tampering with evidence. 

For this purpose, Filletti suggested a condition whereby the accused was to be barred from accessing those electronic devices seized by the police so as to ensure that no data would be deleted. 

Bail was granted against a personal guarantee of €20,000, signing the bail book once a week and abiding by a curfew between midnight and 5am. 

AG lawyers Nathaniel Falzon and Andreas Vella, together with Inspector Clive Brimmer prosecuted.