Virus claims denied in OdaTV case

Selahattin Günday ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

Barış Pehlivan and Barış Terkoğlu, suspects of ODA TV case. DHA photo

OdaTV suspects’ claims that the documents found on their computers were sent by viruses are false, according to an additional report prepared by the Scientific and Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) and presented in court today.

In the report, TÜBİTAK primarily answered questions asked by the court. According to the report, malicious software with a remote control function was deliberately sent to the defendants’ computers and this malicious software was detected to have operated on the computers.

However, the report also said the related documents were created on a date before the malicious software was sent to the computers. “The documents on the evidence list were not sent to these computers through this malicious software; they were created on those computers and were possibly transferred through USB devices,” the report said.

An earlier TÜBİTAK report, which was seven months in the making, arrived at the court Aug. 27 but was not able to determine whether the documents had been transferred through viruses or not. The OdaTV case centers on an online news portal known for its fierce criticism of the government.