Mr. Fahad Naseem, and Mr. Ronald Joseph FBI Agent.
Mr. Fahad Naseem was arrested in connection with the kidnapping and killing of journalist Daniel Pearl and admitted sending ransom e-mails using his Laptop. The laptop and handwritten versions of the e-mails were found in his possession.
- On the Contrary-A, Naseem later retracted his confession and the defense attorney asserted that logs from Mr. Naseem’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) indicated that Mr. Naseem’s account was not active and connected to the Internet at the time the e-mails were sent.
- On the Contrary-B
Naseem’s defense attorney claimed that the compromised Laptop produced in court had a different serial number from the one that was initially recorded in police records; hence, documentation relating to the computer and evidence in the case was inconsistent.
Documentation presented in court indicated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent, Mr. Ronald Joseph examined Mr. Naseem’s Laptop between February 4 and 7, 2002. In contrast, documents indicated that the Laptop was not seized from Mr. Naseem until February 11, 2002, and the court denied the appeal, including the following explanation.
The lead investigator Mr. Shaikh Naeem recovered the Laptop labeled (connection No. 66) retrieved from the accused, Mr. Fahad Naseem, on November 2, 2002, was provided to Mr. Ronald Joseph, FBI agent, who examined, conducted the forensic investigation, formulated his report, and conveyed evidence to the Consulate General of the United States of America.
- The report’s content asserted that the Black Soft Computer came with “Proworld” written on the exterior of the Laptop, and upon opening the case, a Dell Latitude Cpi laptop was discovered.
- The Laptop was identified in the report produced by this witness to be of model PPL with Serial number ZH942 located inside the Laptop as an IBM travel star hard driver [sic], confirmed to have been removed from the Laptop.
- During examination, the label on the hard drive was identified as a system with 4.3 GB storage capacity, and serial number OKLA24302 on the outside of the laptop.
- After examining Exhibits, Mushernama who recovered the Laptop asserted that without a doubt whatever, the compromised Laptop is the same equipment that was seized from the accused, Mr. Fahad Naseem on November 2, 2002.
- On the Contrary-E
The forensic investigation report confirmed that the same Laptop was recovered on April 2, 2002 by the defense team. Availability of the Laptop at the American Consulate on April 2, 2002 is not unnatural and impossible because Marianne Pearl filed a complaint with the police on April 2, 2002, hours when the case was in the at the hands of the Investigating Agency.
Questions 1. As an Aspirant and Hopeful Digital Forensic Investigator:
1:1. Submit concluding evidence to the public and the court substantiating that Mr. Fahad Naseem is guilty of kidnapping and killing Mr. Daniel Pearl, the journalist.
1:2. Submit concluding evidence to the public and the court demonstrating that Mr. Ronald Joseph examined Mr. Naseem’s Laptop between February 4 and 7, 2002, whereas documents indicated that the Laptop was not seized from Mr. Naseem until February 11, 2002.
1:3. Submit concluding evidence to the public and the court attesting that Mr. Naseem’s Laptop’s availability at the American Consulate on April 2, 2002, is unnatural and unrealistic occurrences.
