Witness: Offending article not in RPK's computers

A police computer forensic testified today that he could not find the article ‘Let's send the Altantuya murderers to hell' in the central processing unit (CPU) and notebook that was seized from blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin's home.

Wa'ie Iskal Kria Abdullah, 38, from the computer forensic division of the Commercial Crime Department also told the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court that he could not find any history of the two equipments being used to access Malaysia Today website between April 11 and April 26 this year.

Replying to questions from DPP Farhan Read, the witness said analysis done on the CPU and notebook revealed the notebook had administrator status to the Malaysia Today website.

Wa'ie Iskal said this showed that Raja Petra was administrator, a person who could gain full access to edit, delete and add anything to the website.

"I used the Solo 3 hardware and Encase software to retrieve data from the two machines seized," he said.

"At the times of testing, the Solo 3 and Encase are working fine."

The witness, who is the seventh produced by the prosecution, said the Solo 3 software was an equipment which would provide back-up to the original hard disk retrieved from the said items.

He was testifying at the trial of the Raja Petra, editor of the Malaysia Today website who is charged with sedition for allegedly writing the said article.

Deleted By User

Wa'ie Iskal said during his three day examination (May 2 to May 4, 2008) of the CPU and notebook, he could not find the said article as required by the investigating officer Mahfuz Abdul Majid

Farhan: What was the finding of your analysis by using Solo 3 and Encase?

Wa'ie Iskal: On examination of the CPU and notebook, I cannot find the said article ‘Let's send the Altantuya murderers to hell'. I also found no data to show that the two equipments were used to access the Malaysia Today website between April 11 and April 26.

Farhan: Why can't you find data on possible access to the Malaysia Today website?

Wa'ie Iskal: I think the data (Internet history) has been deleted by the user.

Farhan: Why do you say that?

Wa'ie Iskal: I found a software which can be used to delete the data showing access to any site. It must have been used or set by the user to delete all temporary files between this date.

Hearing before Judge Rozina Ayob continues.

Raja Petra, 58, was charged with publishing a seditious article titled ‘Let's send the Altantuya murderers to hell' in Malaysia Today on April 25.

The charge under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948 carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 or three years in jail or both.