An 18-year-old maths student will go on trial in Morocco this month for unleashing computer worms that disrupted networks of major U.S. firms, a Justice Ministry official said on Friday.
The FBI announced last week Moroccan Farid Essebar's arrest in Rabat and that in Turkey of 21-year-old Attila Ekici, both suspected of releasing the Zotob worm that hit the Internet three weeks ago.
The official said Essebar's trial would start on Sept. 13 and he would be in custody near Rabat until then.
"The hearing will specify charges against him for the trial," the ministry official told Reuters.
The Russian-born maths student is accused of illegal access to data systems, criminal conspiracy, aggravated theft and credit card piracy. Legal sources say he faces up to 10 years in jail if found guilty.
The Rabat court will try another suspect, identified as 21-year-old Achraf Bahloul, on the same charges.
"Bahloul got into this for having used Essebar's alias and pirated credit cards data. We don't think Bahloul is directly involved in the Zotob attack," the official said.
Police were trying to find any more Moroccan accomplices Essebar may have had, he said, declining to elaborate.
Zotob caused computer outages at more than 100 U.S. firms, including major media outlets like CNN, ABC and the New York Times, but did not create widespread havoc like previous malicious software programmes like SQL Slammer and MyDoom.
Close teamwork among the FBI, Microsoft Corp. and authorities in Morocco and Turkey helped net Essebar and Ekici 12 days after the attack.
Using the alias Diab10 (Wolves10), Essebar is suspected of having helped Ekici create the Zotob worm in exchange for credit cards data, local newspapers said, quoting well-informed sources.
Moroccan police declined comment.
