In the ongoing trial of Nigerian artist Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, the 10th prosecution witness (PW10), Dein Whyte, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), revealed to Justice Nicholas Oweibo at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Thursday, November 30, 2023, how Visa, a renowned card payment platform, detected fraudulent activities associated with one of the credit card details discovered on the singer’s device.
Naira Marley is currently facing 11-count charges related to conspiracy and credit card fraud brought against him by the EFCC. Testifying before the court and led by prosecution counsel Bilikisu Buhari, PW10 provided insights into the forensic analysis conducted during the investigation. According to Whyte, the analysis uncovered malicious programs on the device seized from the defendant upon his arrest, specifically designed for the illicit acquisition of credit card information for non-present transactions.
Whyte disclosed the presence of tools on Naira Marley’s device used to conceal the active location of an internet user when connected to the internet. He elaborated further on the findings, stating, “Tools employed to verify the validity, active state, and accuracy of credit card credentials, as well as the region of the issuer, were discovered on the defendant’s device. The analysis also unveiled the defendant’s browsing history, indicating access to websites involved in the illegal trade of credit card information.”
The investigator emphasized that both the phone and laptop recovered from Naira Marley were registered under his credentials, including name and email address. When questioned by the prosecution counsel regarding the outcome of the credit card details found on the defendant’s device, Whyte stated, “Investigations revealed that the defendant exchanged those details with other individuals.” Notably, one of the cards was reported to have been fraudulently used in a transaction flagged by Visa.
Under cross-examination by the defendant’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, Whyte informed the court that the EFCC had written a letter of investigation to Visa, confirming that the flagged card had been involved in fraudulent transactions. However, he clarified that Visa did not directly link the credit card fraud to the defendant’s device, emphasizing that the investigation focused on the card itself and not the device used for fraudulent activities. Importantly, Whyte underscored that Visa is a payment platform and not a telecommunication company.
Justice Oweibo subsequently adjourned the case to March 6 and 7, 2024, for the continuation of the trial.
