Siriluck Chimmalee: Phone access plea ahead of alleged scammer’s trial

A woman who is accused of running a love scam and offering bogus currency exchanges may have fabricated her phone records to convince investors she was dealing a third party financially, a court has heard.

Lawyers for an accused scammer are demanding police give them access to her phone so they can have it independently analysed to determine whether she faked messages to convince her investors of her legitimacy, a court heard.

Siriluck Fatima Chimmalee, 28, of South Strathfield is due to stand trial on November 1 on 103 charges including dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offence and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

Police allege she scammed men she met online by harvesting their personal details and also posed as a “remitter” of currency.

However the District Court heard on Tuesday (October 19) the trial date is likely to be vacated as the defence is seeking access to the phone.

Barrister Benjamin Pierce told the court his client’s phone was key to her defence.

Siriluck Fatima Chimmalee (right).

“Her phone is in effect an extremely relevant matter. We need to get it analysed by an expert to see if indeed materials have been fabricated,” Mr Pierce said.

Crown prosecutor David Morters explained to Judge Dina Yehia that while police originally held back due to privacy concerns about revealing personal data of other people involved in the conversations, the material on the phone was ultimately provided to the defence on September 30.

“Your Honour the material the crown relies upon as being conversations concocted by the accused to convince at least one of the complainants that she was dealing with a third party in relation to transactions,” Mr Morters said.

“ … Of course police are prepared to facilitate that (the analysis) but is a process. A forensic examiner would need to come to police to conduct the examination so there would be no concerns about tampering with police exhibits.”

Judge Yehia adjourned the proceedings until this Thursday (October 21).

“I want between now and Thursday to have some sensible discussions about what can be done to have a forensic expert nominated by the defence have access to the phone,” Judge Yehia said.

On Thursday Chimmalee will also be making her seventh application for bail after being refused the first six times.