Klansman Day 55: Recorded Audio Files Added to Evidence

Recordings made by investigators and an ex-gangster on phone were extracted for examination by digital experts in the police force in 2019. While the witness now works as an incident response specialist, in 2019 he was a police officer working in the communication forensic and cyber unit that falls within the ambit of the Organised Crime Investigations Division (CTOC)

In January, April, and July of 2019, the witness extracted data from the three phones that were used to secretly record conversations among alleged members of the gang. The Voninno Xylo Z that an undercover investigator used was positively identified in court by the witness, along with a Samsung J3 and an ‘Alcatel 5099 a’ that was used by an ex-gang member to record other alleged gangsters.  After each extraction, the requested audio files were placed on labeled DVDs and handed to investigators for examinations. Though the witness made copious notes, it was not recorded which investigators were given the discs.

The witness explained how he used digital forensic software to extract data from the phone and its sim cards using one of two methods; a logical extraction and a physical extraction. A logical extraction takes out media, like images, audio, video, and text, while physical extraction is a bit-by-bit copy of the entire contents of the flash memory of a mobile device, including hidden and deleted files. All three discs were accepted as evidence by Chief Justice Bryan Sykes as the matter concerning alleged gang leader Andre Blackman Bryan and is 32 co-accused continues.

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Reporter: Jhanielle Powell