Linguistic forensics expert: Wiretap transcripts have low reliability

A forensic linguistic expert has testified in the trial of former President Hashim Thaçi for obstruction of justice. The Australian expert, who specializes in decoding audio recordings that few understand, told the court that the prosecution has compiled transcripts that are scientifically unreliable.

Forensic linguistic expert Helen Fraser has told the Special Court that the prosecution's wiretap transcripts have low reliability. 

She made this statement on Monday when responding to the defense of former President Hashim Thaçi, in the case where he and former Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi, former KIA director Bashkim Smakaj, former mayor of Malisheva Isni Kilaj and former KLA member Fadil Fazliu are accused of criminal offenses against the administration of justice.

"In this case, what conclusion have you reached regarding the credibility and reliability of the ZPS transcripts based on the information we have provided to you?" asked Sophie Menegon, Thaçi's lawyer.

Fraser responded that a lawsuit cannot be based on these transcripts.

"The reliability is low. Not in the sense that I can say for sure that the transcripts are wrong, because I can't say that, but I can say that we cannot rely on them as sufficiently accurate transcripts for the judicial process," she said. 

The expert from Australia, who said she has testified in around 100 trials and that her testimony has been taken into account by the courts, emphasized that not everyone knows how to transcribe what is not heard. 

"Transcription is simple, it's hard to determine what words were said; it's a very rare skill and it's very specialized so you can't train a person or take them to an exam or test them, as is usually the case with linguistics or bureaucratic transcriptions," she stated.

Fraser also answered questions from prosecutor Joshua Hafetz, saying he was able to distinguish whispers in the audio recordings that are part of the prosecution's file in this case.

The Specialist Prosecutor's Office is expected to question her again on Tuesday. 

In the obstruction of justice case, Thaçi faces three charges of attempting to obstruct an official in the performance of official duties, three for violating the secrecy of the procedure, and four for disobeying the court.

Kilaj, Smakaj and Fazliu are accused of attempting to obstruct officials in the performance of official duties and of disobeying the court, while Kuçi faces two charges of disobeying the court.
The SPS claims that Thaçi gave instructions to other defendants during their visits to the detention center to brief witnesses on how they should testify in the Special Chamber's largest case for war crimes and crimes against humanity, where in addition to Thaçi, the defendants are: Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.