Chapter 560: Truth Reveals!

Josh produced a USB flash drive after concluding his statement. None of the judicial officials dared to take it; protocol dictated against rash action without permission. The judge awaited Charles's cue to proceed.

Melvin, feigning obliviousness, instructed the court, "Officer, please accept the evidence." This prompted the judge to finally act. Rejecting the evidence presented in court was untenable, and Charles wouldn't have dared to instruct him to do so. The judge conceded, "Please play the video."

A judicial officer retrieved the USB, connected it to the computer, and projected the footage. The video showed two men in black entering Oscar's apartment with several large cases. Their subsequent exit, revealing the cases were now empty, created an immediate uproar.

Charles reacted with visible panic. He’d ensured thorough checks for surveillance; this was impossible. However, the camera's position—on the opposite door, in Oscar's neighbor's apartment—revealed the oversight. They'd only searched Oscar's apartment and the immediate vicinity, never anticipating this angle.

"Your Honor, may I summon my witness?" Josh asked.

The judge, visibly flustered, glanced at the audience. This was a significant development. Josh addressed the court directly: "Your Honor, you are the highest authority here. With all due respect, your repeated glances towards the audience today were conspicuous. Were you influenced by someone, or are you beholden to outside influence in your judgment?"

"Nonsense!" the judge retorted, shame and annoyance battling his years of judicial composure. "Counsel for the defense, watch your language! Repeat that, and I will disqualify you."

"Yes, Your Honor," Josh responded respectfully. "May I summon my witness now?"

Publicly exposed, the judge refrained from further looking around. "Agreed," he said.

"Thank you, Your Honor." Josh bowed.

Moments later, the two men from the video entered the courtroom.

"Please introduce yourselves," Josh requested.

"My name is Nick. I'm 31, from River Town." "My name is Tong. I'm 28, from River Town."

"Are you the two men in the video?" Josh asked.

"Yes."

"What was in the cases?"

"Cash," Nick replied. "A lot. We couldn't count it."

"Why did you place the cash in my client's apartment?"

"Someone paid us 200,000 to do it," Nick stated.

"Who paid you?"

They exchanged glances, then answered simultaneously, "We don't know. We received a call, instructions to deliver the cash. We received 100,000 as a deposit, the rest upon completion."

"How did you contact him?"

"He called a disposable phone, and left the cash near a trash dump on West Street, River Town. Tong and I picked it up together; the payment was left there as well."

"So, you never met this man?"

"No."

Josh concluded his questioning, turning to the judge. "The witnesses' testimony clearly shows someone framed my client."

"Objection!" the prosecutor interjected. "This is mere assertion. I doubt the defendant colluded in this fabrication."

"Objection sustained!" the judge declared, unconditionally supporting the prosecution.

"I can prove the video's authenticity," Josh insisted. "Please allow me to summon another witness."

"Agreed," the judge conceded.

Oscar's neighbor, the elderly gentleman, testified. Hannah, despite initial reluctance, had successfully persuaded him to cooperate. He readily corroborated Oscar's innocence, and presented video recordings from the past month confirming the authenticity of Josh's evidence.

"Even so," the prosecution countered, "what about the financial statement? The defendant received a 50-million bribe; it matches the statement. He anticipated apprehension, hence the charade."

"Why not simply admit the financial statement is fabricated?" Josh retorted.

The prosecution was speechless. "They could've planted the cash. Faking a financial statement would be trivial," Josh pointed out.

"The financial statement originated from City Hall; all officials confirmed it. Or do you think River Town City Hall is complicit?"

"Precisely my point," Josh agreed.

The prosecutor, flustered, was at a loss for words.

"Everyone was involved," Josh continued, playing a subtle game. "But why… we'll address that later. Let's focus on the financial statement."

The prosecutor remained silent.

Josh raised his voice. "My client had an un-altered financial statement on his phone. His phone was confiscated. I request its return."

Before the judge could respond, Melvin produced the phone. "Is this it?"

"Yes," Josh confirmed.

With a nod from Melvin, Josh retrieved his client's phone. He connected it to the computer, copied the authentic financial statement, and projected it on the screen. Oscar's account showed no 50-million bribe, each transaction meticulously detailed. Additional witnesses verified the accuracy of the account.

The case concluded.

Truth revealed!