BEIRUT: Prosecutor Nigel Povoas reviewed Monday cellular evidence critical to indicting the defendants at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon accused of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Povoas, who took up the entirety of Monday’s session, delayed the scheduled appearance of prosecution witness Gary Platt, an investigator at the Tribunal with expertise in covert cellular networks.
The prosecutor reviewed previous statements made by telecommunications experts on the use of covert phone networks, color coded for the purposes of the investigation, which have been essential to the prosecution’s case. Tracing the phone networks has been used to demonstrate how the defendants allegedly orchestrated the Feb. 14, 2005 bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others.
The prosecution has purported that each color coded network delineates separate groups, and missions in the conspiracy. According to the prosecution, the “blue network” arranged the purchase of the Mitsubishi Canter van that carried the bomb. The “red network” is thought to have been used by those who ultimately carried out the attack, while the “purple network” was responsible for the alleged cover operation. The “green network,” was used by those in high-level coordination positions, according to the prosecution.
Povoas recapped the purpose of each covert network, updating the prosecution’s stances on each group’s role based upon recent evidence from analysis by telecoms experts.
“Before the Feb. 14, in the previous two weeks, there had been one contact between the purple phones. However, when we got to Feb. 14, there was a sudden spike of integral contact between the three purple phones,” the prosecutor told the judges and defense.
“The prosecution says this is a pattern that cannot be a coincidence. On that day they had 12 calls, where in the previous week, they had one. And just to remind you, those phones were discarded and never used again,” he said.
Povoas also contended that there was more overlap in the “closed networks” than what was originally reported. The “red,” “blue” and “green” networks were thought to have been separated from one another to ensure secrecy of the operation.
Yet, Povoas noted that “not only was there an interconnectivity” between the “green” and “blue” networks, but also instances of members of one of these group being active in the other as well.
Despite the prosecutor’s lengthy review of the covert cellphone networks, Povoas promised at the close of the hearing that the scheduled testimony of Gary Platt, to begin Tuesday, would give his much anticipated updated analysis on the covert networks.
The prosecutor reviewed previous statements made by telecommunications experts on the use of covert phone networks, color coded for the purposes of the investigation, which have been essential to the prosecution’s case. Tracing the phone networks has been used to demonstrate how the defendants allegedly orchestrated the Feb. 14, 2005 bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others.
The prosecution has purported that each color coded network delineates separate groups, and missions in the conspiracy. According to the prosecution, the “blue network” arranged the purchase of the Mitsubishi Canter van that carried the bomb. The “red network” is thought to have been used by those who ultimately carried out the attack, while the “purple network” was responsible for the alleged cover operation. The “green network,” was used by those in high-level coordination positions, according to the prosecution.
Povoas recapped the purpose of each covert network, updating the prosecution’s stances on each group’s role based upon recent evidence from analysis by telecoms experts.
“Before the Feb. 14, in the previous two weeks, there had been one contact between the purple phones. However, when we got to Feb. 14, there was a sudden spike of integral contact between the three purple phones,” the prosecutor told the judges and defense.
“The prosecution says this is a pattern that cannot be a coincidence. On that day they had 12 calls, where in the previous week, they had one. And just to remind you, those phones were discarded and never used again,” he said.
Povoas also contended that there was more overlap in the “closed networks” than what was originally reported. The “red,” “blue” and “green” networks were thought to have been separated from one another to ensure secrecy of the operation.
Yet, Povoas noted that “not only was there an interconnectivity” between the “green” and “blue” networks, but also instances of members of one of these group being active in the other as well.
Despite the prosecutor’s lengthy review of the covert cellphone networks, Povoas promised at the close of the hearing that the scheduled testimony of Gary Platt, to begin Tuesday, would give his much anticipated updated analysis on the covert networks.
Source & Link : The Daily Star
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