Dein Whyte, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, revealed to Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Thursday, how Visa, a card payment platform, detected fraudulent transactions linked to one of the credit card details found on the singer’s device, as the 10th prosecution witness in the trial of Nigerian singer, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley.
This was revealed in a statement posted on the agency’s X account on Friday.
“As part of the investigation’s findings, forensic analysis revealed that malicious programs used to illegally obtain credit card information were found on the device recovered from the defendant upon his arrest,” said the witness, Whyte, who was led by the prosecution lawyer, Bilikisu Buhari. These programs made card-not-present transactions possible.
When connected to the internet, the investigator discovered tools on the device that concealed the user’s active position.
Whyte elaborated, saying,
“Tools used to verify the validity, active state, and accuracy of credit card credentials, as well as the region of the issuer of that card, were discovered on the defendant’s device. The analysis further revealed the websites accessed on the defendant’s computer, including sites where credit card information is illegally traded.”
Both the phone and laptop found from Naira Marley were registered with his credentials, name, and email address, according to the witness. Investigations discovered that the singer shared credit card information with others. Notably, Visa detected unauthorized usage on one card. Whyte stated that the card information on the defendant’s device did not belong to him and had not been provided by any financial institution.
Under cross-examination by the defendant’s attorney, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, Whyte stated that the card had been identified for fraudulent transactions following a Visa investigation. Visa, on the other hand, did not immediately link the credit card fraud to the defendant’s device, noting that Visa is a payment platform rather than a telecommunications firm.
The case was adjourned by Justice Oweibo to March 6 and 7, 2024, for the continuation of the trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has charged Naira Marley with 11 counts, including conspiracy and credit card fraud.