Fergie's Tech Blog

Zotob worm suspect in court

A Reuters newswire article, via CNN, reports that:

A Moroccan magistrate questioned an 18-year-old science student in court on Tuesday about his alleged role in unleashing computer worms that disrupted networks across the United States last month.

Farid Essebar appeared before the investigating magistrate in Rabat for three hours of questioning about the Zotob worm, his lawyer said.

The worm caused computer outages at more than 100 U.S. companies, including major media outlets like CNN and The New York Times.

"My client Farid Essebar was interrogated by a Rabat court investigating judge over the Zotob worm release on the Internet. He was returned back to detention in a Rabat jail," said his lawyer, Mohamed Fertat.

Essebar, an experimental science student who has been in jail since his arrest on August 25, was remanded in custody and will be questioned again on September 21, Fertat added.

Essebar's arrest in Morocco was part of a coordinated operation involving Turkish authorities who detained 21-year-old Attila Ekici, also suspected of involvement in the release of the Zotob worm, the FBI said in Washington.

posted by Fergie @ 9/13/2005 06:16:00 PM