New Delhi: The Tehelka tapes on corruption in Defence deals, which led to the resignation of then Defence Minister George Fernandes three years back, are "original" and have not been "over-dubbed", a London-based expert today (June 21, 2004) told the Commission of Inquiry going into the expose.

In a boost to the case of the news portal Tehelka, Mathew James Cass told S N Phukan Commission of Inquiry here that the tapes were "edited" but there was no technical evidence that they have been "over-dubbed" as was contended by Samata Party leader Jaya Jaitley as well as Army officers who had figured in the tapes.

"In my opinion, there is nothing to indicate that the tapes supplied to me by the Commission are not the camera originals made at the time of the incidents depicted. There is significant evidence to support the contention that they are the camera originals," said Cass, an Associate Director for the Department of Electronic Evidence and Senior Video, Audio and Imaging Expert at the Bureau of Forensic Science, London.

Cass, who was asked to examine the tapes to establish their authenticity as camera originals and explain anomalies, if any, said the tapes had been "edited" but he cannot say whether it was done "maliciously".

The expert, in his 16-page report, said the audio was by and large consistent with the background. "In all instances where over-dubbing of another voice is alleged, there is no evidence on a technical level to support this allegation. The voice in each case is consistent as is the background sound," he said.