A South African forensic specialist on Wednesday informed the court that encrypted devices seized from Dr. Riek Machar may require overseas intervention to extract evidence in the Nasir case.
Appearing as the 13th and final prosecution witness during the court’s 50th session, forensic analyst Ratlhogo Peter Calvin said local investigators have been unable to access Machar’s electronics due to advanced encryption systems.
Calvin testified that Machar’s MacBook is protected by a specialized encrypted disk that can only be accessed by the original equipment manufacturer.
He explained that the device’s serial number indicates it was manufactured in China, making it necessary to involve the manufacturer for lawful data extraction.
“Now such device is very vulnerable to interrogate without password. As such, we looked at the serial number which starts with COZ. It means that the product or the MacBook in question is manufactured in China,” Calvin told the court.
The expert further revealed that Machar’s Samsung Galaxy S22 is secured with Knox Vault, a high-level security feature that prevents unauthorized access.
According to him, only Samsung facilities in Vietnam or India are capable of decrypting the device without damaging or altering the original data.
Calvin warned the court against using unofficial or black-market methods, saying such approaches could permanently destroy evidence and undermine the credibility of the trial.
“This is the court and evidence must be treated with integrity. We didn’t want to tamper with these important data,” he said, stressing the need to preserve the originality of digital evidence.
He told the court that both devices remain sealed in evidence bags, as no passwords were provided, and that investigators opted to suspend further attempts to unlock them to avoid compromising the data.
The forensic expert also outlined preliminary findings from devices belonging to Machar’s co-accused, which prosecutors claim point to planning, coordination, weapons procurement, financing, and intelligence sharing linked to the March 2025 attack on the SSPDF garrison in Nasir.
The court adjourned the session and is expected to resume on Friday, February 13, when prosecutors will formally submit the forensic report, paving the way for defense lawyers to begin cross-examination.
Machar and several SPLA-IO figures are facing multiple charges, including murder, terrorism, treason, conspiracy, and crimes against humanity.
Prosecutors allege SPLA-IO fighters, alongside the White Army, killed 257 soldiers, including commander David Majur Dak, and caused an estimated $58 million in military losses during the Nasir assault.
