LIBERIA LACKS THE DIGITAL-FORENSIC CAPACITY TO PROSECUTE THE JEWEL HOWARD-TAYLOR CASE

Upon reviewing the reported handling of the purported digital evidence against former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, it is my professional opinion that Liberia presently lacks the specialized digital-forensic expertise, technical infrastructure, and established evidentiary procedures required to prosecute a case based wholly or substantially on digital evidence. Digital evidence cannot be treated like an ordinary document, informal recording, screenshot, or forwarded message. Its reliability must be established through lawful seizure, forensic acquisition, cryptographic verification, metadata examination, device attribution, secure preservation, and an unbroken chain of custody.