In a courtroom drama in the 17 Black Compilation proceedings, a major issue surrounding the admissibility of evidence has emerged, seriously questioning the involvement of Europol and a scandalous leak of data from Yorgen Fenech’s phone.
The case has taken a dramatic turn as Dr. Charles Mercieca, the defense lawyer, grilled Europol officials who were involved in the phone handling and data extraction from the phone in question.
The phone in question, which belonged to Fenech, was confiscated by authorities in 2019. However, before Europol even unlocked the device in 2020, messages and data from the phone were already making the rounds on various Maltese news portals.
This raises serious questions about the chain of custody of critical evidence and its integrity.
The Leak Before Unlocking
The shocking revelation came to light in court, where Dr. Mercieca questioned Europol officials about the timeline of events leading up to the phone’s unlocking.
According to reports, despite the phone being in the safe custody of Europol and not yet decrypted as confirmed by Europol officials, a significant portion of the phone’s data had already been leaked to media outlets. The leak included sensitive information such as private messages and communications that had not yet been made available to the defense.
Charles Mercieca
Dr. Mercieca’s line of questioning put the international European agency on the defensive. Europol’s role in the extraction and analysis of data has been called into question, with critics arguing that the breach in confidentiality could compromise the integrity of the entire process. The leak has far-reaching consequences for the credibility of the evidence being used in the court proceedings especially on the 17 Black and Power Station case.
Jeremy Harbinson
In a related development, Harbinson Forensics, the company responsible for the forensic analysis of 17 Black, power station and other aspects of the case came under scrutiny during the same hearing. The company was scandalously liquidated after it ceased trading in 2020.
As the compilation proceedings progresses, the defense will no doubt continue to challenge the admissibility of evidence in the case. With all key evidence now tainted by questions of authenticity and legality, it remains to be seen how the court will respond to these new revelations.
