Calvin Otieno Ogalo, a 35-year-old former bank employee, has been accused of stealing billions of shillings from government institutions, including banks and county governments. According to a report by Nation Newspaper, Ogalo planned to hack into the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) system during the 2017 elections.
The alleged cybercrime syndicate, which included Ogalo, was said to have installed malware into the systems of various institutions, allowing them to steal hundreds of millions of shillings. The syndicate was reportedly operating in several locations, including Nairobi CBD, Muthaiga, Thika, and Roysambu.
Evidence and Context ¶
A police report indicated that the syndicate was working with insiders and relatives of prominent politicians to gain access to various systems. The report also stated that the group was conspiring to manipulate the IEBC system during the elections.
Security reports seen by Nation suggested that the group had been working with foreigners based in Spain, France, Moldova, and Belgium to gain access to various systems. The reports also indicated that the group had been using Remote Access Tools to access the networks of targeted institutions.
Response and Consequences ¶
The arrest of Ogalo and other suspects was made possible by the interception of communication between the local and international criminals. The police recovered several items, including an AK47 rifle, computers, mini servers, cables, hard disks, and a narcotic substance, from Ogalo's house.
Ogalo is currently facing several pending criminal cases relating to banking fraud and forgery. Other suspects, including a Kenya Revenue Authority employee and two American citizens, are also in police custody.
The Head of the Special Crime Prevention Unit, Noah Katumo, stated that the operation was still ongoing and that detectives from several police units were working together to investigate the matter.
