Alleged Zotob Hacker Appears in Moroccan Court
Lawyer Mohamed Fertat told the AFP wire service that his client "did not develop the Zotob virus but did participate in the creation of a worm that infected computer systems."
Fertat said the Essebar's supposed accomplice, Turkish national Attila Ekici, was the one who crafted Zotob.
Both Essebar, 18, and Ekici, 21, were arrested last month and charged with creating and distributing Zotob, which hit Windows 2000 systems world-wide earlier in August. Essebar, who allegedly went by the hacker moniker Diabl0, is also suspected of writing several of the Mytob worms that appeared during 2005, say security experts.
According to local media reports, Essebar was questioned by the court for some three hours, then returned to custody. He'll be questioned again on September 21, Fertat told reporters.
Moroccan authorities can hold suspects for up to two months, with as many as four additional extensions allowed.
"I expect the investigation to find him not guilty and that he will not be charged of any crime," Fertat said.