Equity Bank worker gets KSh200,000 bail over duplicated Finacle profiles in alleged theft plot

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An Equity Bank employee has been released on a KSh200,000 cash bail after denying charges that he duplicated two user profiles on the lender’s Finacle core banking system as part of a plan to steal from the bank.

Ian Muhia Maina appeared before Resident Magistrate Irene Thamara at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, where he pleaded not guilty to three counts: unauthorised access to a computer system, attempted stealing by servant, and conspiracy to commit a felony. The court gave him the option of a KSh600,000 bond instead of the cash bail while the case proceeds.

What the charge sheet says

According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences took place on diverse dates between May 2026 and October 21, 2026, at an unknown place in Kenya. Prosecutors say Maina acted jointly with other people who have not yet been brought to court.

The first count accuses him of gaining unauthorised access to a computer system belonging to Equity Bank Limited by duplicating Finacle user profiles, “with intent to commit a further offence, namely theft.”

The second count, attempted stealing by servant, is brought under Section 281 as read with Section 389 of the Penal Code. It alleges that he and the unnamed suspects duplicated the two profiles intending to steal from the bank. The third count, under Section 393 of the Penal Code, accuses him of conspiring with them to commit that offence.

The charge sheet does not say how much money was targeted, and nothing presented in court so far suggests that customer funds were lost. The allegations have not been tested, and Maina is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Why a duplicated user profile matters

Finacle is the core banking software Equity uses to run customer accounts and transactions. In systems like this, each staff user profile carries a set of permissions that decides what that person can see, approve or move. Copying a profile can, depending on how it is set up, give someone access to functions beyond the rights they were assigned, such as approving transactions they should only be able to start.

That is why banks split duties between staff who start a transaction and those who approve it, and why unusual changes to user access are among the first things internal audit teams watch for.

What Equity says about its controls

Equity has said it does not condone unauthorised access to its systems and continues to strengthen its security, governance and fraud-prevention measures to protect customers. The bank says its technology environment is certified under ISO 27001:2023 for information security, ISO 20000-1:2018 for IT service management, and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

“Cases of this nature often demonstrate the effectiveness of internal controls and monitoring systems designed to detect irregular activity, preserve audit trails and support investigations,” the bank said.

Insider risk keeps rising up the agenda

The case comes as Kenyan institutions face a growing volume of attacks on their systems. The Communications Authority recently logged 2.7 billion cyber threat events in three months, with brute-force attempts up 85%. Insider cases are harder to spot because the person already has legitimate access, which is why banks rely on audit trails that record who changed what and when.

For customers, the practical advice stays the same: check statements regularly and report any transaction you don’t recognise to the bank straight away. Our Equity Bank help guide lists the lender’s official contact and reversal channels, and our Equity branches in Nairobi page shows where to raise a complaint in person.

The case will return to court as the prosecution moves to prove the charges. Investors following the lender’s earnings can also see how Equity compares with peers in our look at the top bank stock picks after half-year results.