Expert tells of low-quality DNA profiling on Nina Wang's will
Specialist agrees that his conclusion could be overturned if contrary evidence comes to light
An expert testifying for alleged will forger Peter Chan Chun-chuen accepted that his conclusion - that the DNA of two purported signatories of Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum's will could be on the document - would become irrelevant if the jury was convinced by contrary evidence.
DNA expert Jonathan Whitaker said the jury could come to a different conclusion if there was evidence to show that the signatories had not touched the will purportedly left by Wang, who was Asia's richest woman.
He told the Court of First Instance he was providing an "alternative explanation" based on "low quality" DNA profiling he conducted on the will.
Whitaker was the only witness giving evidence for Chan, who is being tried for forging Wang's will in an unsuccessful attempt to claim her massive fortune.
The court heard yesterday that Chan had decided not to testify in his own defence.
Whitaker said he concluded that it was "fair and reasonable to consider" that Chan and the purported signatories, Winfield Wong and Ng Shun-mo, were "contributors" of DNA found on the document.
His conclusion was contrary to that of a government laboratory that found no DNA on the document. Experts for the prosecution had also told the court that no fingerprint of Wang, Wong or Ng could be found on the allegedly forged will, dated October 2006.
Whitaker said the DNA profiling he conducted was of "low quality" because only a small amount of DNA was found on the document.
He said DNA that could potentially be taken from the will would have been destroyed when government forensic scientists conducted the fingerprint examination.
But Whitaker also said it could be just a "coincidence" that several people's DNA so happened to come together to give the false presence of Wong and Ng's DNA.
"We need to keep both explanations alive," he said. "I can't assist you in ranking the explanations."
He accepted the suggestion by prosecutor David Perry QC that the two alternative explanations would in effect cancel each other out.
Whitaker is expected to finish giving evidence before Mr Justice Andrew Macrae today, marking the end of the trial that began late last month.
The prosecution and defence will make their closing submissions this week before a summation of the case by the judge. The jury will then retire to consider its verdict.
