KIRIBATI GOVT FALLS VICTIM TO CYBER CRIME

The Kiribati government has fallen victim to cybercrime with more than 1.1 million US dollars stolen when wired to an overseas account for the purchase of a landing craft for the Phoenix and Line islands.

It was revealed that the monies had been wired to the supplier of the landing craft in the Philippines; however, the monies had reportedly disappeared.

 

The government of Kiribati was informed that the monies were transferred to a wrong account.

 

Kiribati’s Minister of Commerce, Pinto Katia, addressed the Kiribati parliament stating that the monies had been stolen using “highly sophisticated skills” and that “there was nothing they could do to avoid such theft”.

 

The Kiribati government is now being urged to implement control measures to ensure project monies are safe from theft and serve their purpose. This was reiterated by Alexander Teabo, MP for Butaritari.

 

He further stated that the theft was to his own opinion, a show of lack of responsibility, competence and care.  

 

The monies for the landing craft project were given to Kiribati by Taiwan in January 2014, totalling 1.5 million dollars.

 

source: radio New Zealand