/ 3 April 2001

HACKER ARRESTED IN KEMPTON PARK

POLICE expect to make 14 more arrests, following the detention of a foreign national who allegedly defrauded international financial institutions of millions of rands by hacking into their electronic databases. Senior Superintendent Martin Aylward said on Monday that Wilson Barney was arrested at a house in Kempton Park on Saturday. He appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday and was remanded in custody until his next appearance on April 9. Aylward said he was unable to release Barney’s nationality, except to say that he was from Africa, as this could jeopardise the investigation. He said Barney was suspected to be the leader of a syndicate responsible for electronically transferring money from a number of international and South African financial institutions.