Former Bank employee accused of stealing data

A former bank employee who was accused of stealing data and handing it to a competitor has been released on bail.

The 36-year-old man, who cannot be named on the orders of the court, was arraigned on computer misuse charges and breaching banking secrecy.

Inspector Shaun Friggieri, prosecuting, told the court that the man had taken confidential data from his former employer and tried to pass it on to a competitor.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke saw three statements issued by the accused.

He pleaded not guilty.  Bail was not opposed as long as sufficiently strict conditions were imposed. He had been on police bail for some time before the arraignment and had obeyed the conditions, said his lawyer Roberto Montalto, adding that the man had cooperated fully with the investigation.

There was no need for curfew or deposits he said. The accused had “no problem of disobedience.”

A ban on the publication of the names of the man and the parte civile was requested as there was a potential investigation into third parties for more serious crimes. If published this information could hamper the police’s work.

The bank’s lawyers said that the public had an interest in knowing the name of the accused but not that of the bank.

But it was up to the parte civile to see whether it wanted to catch whoever was really harming it, said Montalto, adding that the ban was
intended to defend the clients of the bank as well.  Similar cases had bans, he said.

The court upheld the request and banned the publication of the names of those involved.

Bail was granted against a deposit of €4000 and a personal guarantee of €5000.