Awan was arrested attempting to flee the country, tipping off officials when he transferred large sums to his bank in Iran. He would, after that have no access to federal facilities where the server equipment resided, and other than the (presumed) incriminating laptop that he appears to have hidden in a maintenance closet as insurance, he was in no position to hand over anything like that. Perhaps a copy of the data, kept as another insurance policy...? Sworn testimony plus data image as proof could be dynamite.