Inconsistency in cellphone evidence emerges during Phala Phala theft trial

Defence lawyers in the Phala Phala trial questioned the evidence of the state’s cellphone data analyst on Monday, after his data showed two numbers associated with one person pinging at different places at the same time.

Imanuwela David, along with siblings Froliana and Ndilinasho Joseph, are charged with breaking and entering President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm in February 2020 and stealing $580,000 in cash.

The trio appeared in the Modimolle regional court in Limpopo..

According to the cellphone analyst’s data, there are two numbers associated with accused number two, Froliana Joseph.

During cross-examination, the analyst was asked by the defence how it was possible that the two numbers linked to Froliana were pinged at different locations at the same time.

"As an analyst, I am not in the position to say that the call was made by a specific person but rather only that it was made or received by a number associated with that person of interest. That’s why my language says, ‘the handset with the number associated with so and so moved from this vicinity to that vicinity or was in that vicinity.’ As for the specific person, that’s not my part," the analyst said.

In earlier testimony, the analyst told the court he relied on the investigating officer when it came to associating the cellphone numbers with the names of the accused.

The analyst said it was up to the investigating officer to tell the court the method he used to do that.