- An Equity Bank employee has been charged with allegedly hacking the lender’s computer system
- Ian Muhia Maina is accused of duplicating two user profiles on the bank’s Finacle platform in a suspected theft plot
- He denied three charges and was released on a cash bail of KSh 200,000 or an alternative bond of KSh 600,000
Harry Ivan Mboto is a Current Affairs and Politics Editor at TUKO.co.ke, covering crime and court news. Mboto has five years of journalism experience and joined TUKO.co.ke in 2024
An Equity Bank employee, Ian Muhia Maina, has been charged with allegedly gaining unauthorised access to the bank’s computer system and duplicating two user profiles on its Finacle banking platform in a suspected attempt to steal from the lender.
Source: Original
Maina appeared before Milimani Resident Magistrate Irene Thamara, where he denied three charges of unauthorised computer access, attempted stealing by servant and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The court released him on a cash bail of KSh 200,000 or an alternative bond of KSh 600,000 as the case proceeds.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences occurred on diverse dates between May 2026 and October 21, 2026, at an undisclosed location in Kenya. The prosecution alleges that Maina acted alongside other individuals who have not been brought before the court.
How did the Equity Bank employee allegedly access the system?
Maina faces a charge of unauthorised access to a computer system, contrary to Section 14(1) of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act.
The prosecution alleges that he accessed a computer system belonging to Equity Bank Limited without authorisation by duplicating two user profiles on the bank’s Finacle platform, identified as VM53601 and BC 23924.
The charge sheet states that the alleged access was intended to facilitate a further offence of theft.
Finacle is banking software used by financial institutions to manage operations such as customer accounts and transactions. User profiles help determine the functions and information an individual can access within a system.
Depending on the permissions assigned to them, unauthorised duplication of such profiles could potentially allow access beyond an individual’s approved privileges. However, the charge sheet does not establish whether any money was lost or whether the alleged duplication resulted in a successful breach of the bank’s systems.
What other charges does the Equity Bank employee face?
Maina also faces a charge of attempted stealing by servant, contrary to Section 389 of the Penal Code.
The prosecution alleges that he duplicated the two Finacle user profiles, acting jointly with other individuals who have not been presented before the court, with the intention of stealing from Equity Bank.
He is further charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, contrary to Section 393 of the Penal Code.
According to the prosecution, Maina conspired with the other individuals between May 2026 and October 21, 2026, to commit the alleged offence of attempted stealing by servant.
The charge sheet states in part that Maina and others not before the court allegedly secured unauthorised access to Equity Bank’s computer system by duplicating the two Finacle user profiles, with the intention of committing theft.
The three charges relate to the same alleged conduct but address different aspects of the suspected offences: unauthorised access to a computer system, an alleged attempt to steal and an alleged agreement to commit a felony.
Maina denied all three charges. The allegations remain unproven, and the case is pending further court proceedings.
Source: TUKO.co.ke