$4.5bn fraud trial: Emefiele seeks forensic exam of WhatsApp evidence

Emefiele in court

Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, on Tuesday, adjourned ruling on an application filed by the embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, seeking a forensic examination of WhatsApp messages admitted in evidence in his ongoing trial.

Emefiele, through his counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, had prayed the court for leave to engage a forensic expert to examine both the mobile phone described as an “iPhone 2” and the printed WhatsApp conversations extracted from it, which were tendered by the prosecution as evidence.

“My Lord, we are requesting permission to conduct a forensic analysis of the mobile device and the messages extracted therefrom in order to verify their authenticity and integrity.

“It is a critical element of our defence,” Ojo submitted.

However, EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Chinenye Okezie, objected to the request, arguing that the defence had failed to meet the procedural requirements for such an application.

“The defence has not disclosed the name of the proposed forensic laboratory, nor the qualifications or experience of the personnel who would conduct the examination,” Okezie told the court.

“The defendant has not stated the duration of the forensic exercise,” Okezie said. Punch