Company comms would have been on SATCOM. I don't know if that would be covered by the CVR in the manner of normal comms, but certainly one half of the conversation would be picked up on the area mike.
The nature of the "system failure" with the recording facility in flight Ops, was not elaborated on, but was met with derision by assembled pilots when it was announced. As for putting people in front of a judge, sadly this isn't Western Europe or the US.
In the meantime, it's Ops normal and not one single thing has changed since the accident. Quite literally, nothing. Extraordinary.