NationStates Jolt Archive

For those of you who have not been following this story a young Australian woman named Schapelle Corby was found in Indonesia with a huge bag of pot in her luggage (kilos). She claims that it was someone else who put it in her luggage and she is innocent. At the moment she is on trial and could easily face the death penalty. When I first heard this story I thought of Lindsy Chamberlain (that poor woman:(). I said to myself I would maintain an open mind and wouldn't assume her guilt, then promptly did assumed her guilt (I blame the media's influence) but now it seems that there is some evidence she was telling the truth.

While I am glad that the Australian government is attempting to help an Australian citizen (as it should), I just hope that this does not become portrayed as one nation interferring with another nation's judicial system to help a criminal, and I certinly hope it does not devolve to that.

Source (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12648566-2,00.html)

Expert says Corby innocent
By Marian Carroll in Denpasar
March 24, 2005

AN Indonesian court burst into applause today after an Australian criminologist said he had no doubt Gold Coast woman Schapelle Corby was an unwitting drug mule.

As Ms Corby prepared to take the witness stand this afternoon, Bond University professor and criminologist Paul Wilson – who has studied similar cases in Thailand – said she did not fit the profile of a typical drug trafficker.

"Is this the face of a drug criminal?" the judge asked Professor Wilson, instructing Ms Corby to stand up.

Professor Wilson responded: "Your honour, I can not look at her face alone.

"I can listen to her talk to my questions, which I have done. I can look at her face and I can speak to people who know her well.

"Using all of that information, I can honestly say that she did not know there were drugs in her bag."

The packed gallery at the Denpasar District Court immediately burst into applause.

Ms Corby, 27, may face the death penalty if she is found guilty of smuggling 4.1kg of cannabis into Bali's Denpasar airport in her boogieboard bag last October.

Her legal team is seeking to have a Victorian prisoner flown to Bali to testify about a statement he gave that may clear Ms Corby of the drug charges.

They will seek an adjournment later this afternoon.

Earlier, a senior Qantas baggage handler from Brisbane airport testified that it was highly possible that anyone from engineers to catering staff could have gained access to Ms Corby's luggage as it waited to be loaded onto the plane.

"It's possible for someone to put something in," Scott Stephens said as Ms Corby quietly wiped away tears.

If the pillowcase-sized bag of cannabis been in Ms Corby's boogieboard bag when she checked it in, baggage handlers would have noticed the extra weight and should have investigated further.

Australia's consul in Bali, Brent Hall, said he had written to Indonesian authorities in support of Ms Corby's bid for an adjournment.

If the Melbourne prisoner was unable to attend in person, authorities could also consider arranging a video conference to allow him to testify, Mr Hall said.

Edit: How the hell did I misspell that??? :confused:

I heard that the Victorian prisoner wouldn't be able to testify, because he wouldn't be able to be transferred to Bali in time.

I heard that the Victorian prisoner wouldn't be able to testify, because he wouldn't be able to be transferred to Bali in time.

The defence has asked for an adjournment... Don't know how that went...

I hope people don't think of this as grave digging, but the case is almost over now. The shock star witness was flown in from Melbourne Jail (I think) and testified to the actual drug smugglers' identities. Now all that remains is to see weather or not she gets the death penalty. Here (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12709158-401,00.html) is a more up to date story on her.


Keep believing in me: Schapelle
By Cindy Wockner in Bali
March 31, 2005

SCHAPELLE Corby sent a heartfelt message to her fellow Australians from her Bali prison cell yesterday.

"I want the Australian public to keep believing in me because I have done nothing wrong and I want to thank the Australian public for their support because, without their support, I would be dead already," she said.

After her most traumatic day yet in court yesterday, the 27-year-old was visited in jail by family, friends and her legal team, who are concerned for her emotional wellbeing as the case draws to a close.

Still emotional, Corby asked Gold Coast mobile phone entrepreneur Ron Bakir, who is now bankrolling her defence, to deliver the message to Australians for her.

Mr Bakir said he feared Corby was losing hope but she was buoyed by the belief Australians were behind her in her bid to be declared innocent of drug smuggling charges, which carry the death penalty.

"She says she can't handle it in here [jail] any more," Mr Bakir said after his visit.

And in what could be seen as a boost for Corby and her legal team, the Chief Judge in charge of her case revealed yesterday that some parts of prisoner John Patrick Ford's testimony would be used in considering their decision.

Judge Linton Sirait told The Daily Telegraph he could not comment publicly on the judges' current thinking about Corby's guilt or innocence but the prisoner's evidence would form part of their decision.

Ford, 40, a remand prisoner at Melbourne's Port Phillip prison, said he had heard two fellow prisoners talking about the drugs having been mistakenly planted in Corby's luggage by a drug ring.

"From his testimony there are some parts of his evidence that will be used in the judges' consideration of their decision," Judge Sirait said.

However he was not prepared to comment on exactly which parts of the evidence that the judges would use in determining their verdict.

The comments are a welcome boost for Corby and the team, who had pinned their hopes on Ford's testimony being their last-ditch effort to show the court there was an another explanation for the 4.1kg of marijuana found in her boogie-board bag when she arrived at Bali airport last October.

Judge Sirait's comments were echoed by Judge Wayan Suasatrawan who said: "I cannot tell you whether we think he was credible or not but of course we will consider what he talked about."

Under law, the judges could decide that because Ford was testifying about events outside of Indonesia and outside of the jurisdiction in which the case is heard, his evidence was inadmissible or irrelevant to Corby's trial and thus discard it.

Corby's mother Rosleigh said yesterday after visiting her daughter that Schapelle and the entire family were grateful Ford had come to Bali despite the risks.

Wait...The death penalty for smuggling pot, into Indonesia? Christ, they should reward her for not trafficking slaves, or worse.

Wait...The death penalty for smuggling pot, into Indonesia? Christ, they should reward her for not trafficking slaves, or worse.
Indonesia has never put a high value on human life. See East Timor, Aech, peasent massacres etc.

Australia shouldn't let this kind of crap happen.

Indonesia has never put a high value on human life. See East Timor, Aech, peasent massacres etc.

Australia shouldn't let this kind of crap happen.

Hey! We are trying within the limits of the law...

Hey! We are trying within the limits of the law...
Indonesian law sucks.

Indonesia has never put a high value on human life. See East Timor, Aech, peasent massacres etc.

Australia shouldn't let this kind of crap happen.

Well, unfortunately there is a little problem with that. The first is that we don't have enough bullets to shoot their military. I don't particulary want to launch into a huge war most likely held on our turf. But Howard should stop being a coward (yes it rhymes) and put more subtle diplomatic pressure on Indonesia.

Well, unfortunately there is a little problem with that. The first is that we don't have enough bullets to shoot their military. I don't particulary want to launch into a huge war most likely held on our turf. But Howard should stop being a coward (yes it rhymes) and put more subtle diplomatic pressure on Indonesia.

Like what? Don't prosecute Australians who may have been involved in a crime or we'll take back some of that Tsunami aid, not all of it, just one billion dollars...

Well, unfortunately there is a little problem with that. The first is that we don't have enough bullets to shoot their military. I don't particulary want to launch into a huge war most likely held on our turf. But Howard should stop being a coward (yes it rhymes) and put more subtle diplomatic pressure on Indonesia.
Is the Indonesian navy anything really to be feared? At least recall your ambassadors, severe diplomatic ties etc. Don't let Indonesia make you its bitch!

Is the Indonesian navy anything really to be feared? At least recall your ambassadors, severe diplomatic ties etc. Don't let Indonesia make you its bitch!

What? Are you mad? If we withdraw our diplomatic services then she would have even less of a chance! Our diplomacy has been able to arrange a last minute witness from an Australian jail travel there and give evidence; establish that is she is sentenced to jail she can serve it in an Australian prision and have so far prevented her from 'expiring' by assisting her court case.

All Indonesia has done is captured someone who it seemed was breaking their law and punishing them according to their law. This is not some vindictive prosecution. What did you expect? You break the law, but because you're foreign we'll do nothing? The fact that we have been able to assist in this matter is due to our diplomacy and good relations with Indonesia. There have been some tensions lately (East Timor, Ache, the whole general Muslim and Christian mutual suspicion et cetera), but we don't tell then how to run their country and they don't tell us how to run ours.

How would we react if an Indonesian had smuggled drugs into Australia, breaking our law? We would prosecute according to the law, and if guilty would be punished accordingly.

Although personally I think the death sentence is an inappropiate punishment.

I hadn't heard anything about it, it hasn't been a big story on the news or anything like that.
I just wondered whether Australia has the death sentence, sorry for my ignorance.

I hadn't heard anything about it, it hasn't been a big story on the news or anything like that.
I just wondered whether Australia has the death sentence, sorry for my ignorance.

Not since the 1960's

Its an interesting case but I dont know what to think.

Source (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12880516-2,00.html)

New clue may save Schapelle
By Tony Vermeer and Clare Masters
April 17, 2005

A NOTE by a security official who died mysteriously after alleging drug-running at Sydney Airport has been delivered to lawyers for accused marijuana smuggler Schapelle Corby.

They claim the note is evidence supporting Corby's plea that she is an innocent victim of criminal networks using airports for drug trafficking.

Its author, former Australian Protective Services officer Gary Lee-Rogers, was found dead in his Queanbeyan flat in October, 2002.

An autopsy was unable to ascertain the cause of death, but Mr Lee-Rogers' family and whistle-blowers believe he was murdered after allegedly uncovering corruption in the APS's operations at the airport.

Lawyers for Gold Coast beautician Schapelle Corby told The Sunday Telegraph yesterday they intended to use this latest information in final submissions to the Indonesian court where Corby is facing a possible death sentence.

Her legal team has received hundreds of letters and e-mails alleging interference with luggage at airports since the claims were raised by Victorian prisoner John Ford.

A coronial finding into his death is due to be handed down at Queanbeyan on Wednesday.

In e-mails to friends, Mr Lee-Rogers predicted he would be killed because of what he had allegedly discovered and said his death would be covered up as a suicide.

One e-mail said he had received

an anonymous phone call warning that "I had tripped over evidence of drug importation though Sydney Airport involving the old Commonwealth Police network."

He alleged the caller had gone on to name two APS officers. The APS was responsible for security at airports and Commonwealth buildings until 2002, when it was folded into the Australian Federal Police.

The e-mail was passed on to Corby's legal team by Whistleblowers Australia president Dr Jean Lennane, who said it might be a clue to his death.

"What we have here is a man who has died in mysterious circumstances after raising concerns about airport security," Dr Lennane said.

A member of Corby's defence team, Gold Coast lawyer Matthew Gibson, said the Lee-Rogers document backed up claims something was awry at the airport.

Corby was arrested after 4.1kg of marijuana was discovered in her boogie board bag at Bali airport.

Mr Lee-Rogers was in charge of security training at Sydney airport before the 2000 Olympics.

But his career collapsed when he warned his superiors about security problems within the APS, including racketeering, the promotion of badly trained officers and misappropriation of government funding.

Evidence at his inquest revealed an APS audit had found 47 revolvers, two rifles, six shotguns, 30 sets of handcuffs and 18 batons had disappeared, along with computers and cameras.

In the week before his death, the 47-year-old was badly bashed and claimed an AFP officer had put a gun to his mouth.

Mr Lee-Rogers' former de facto, Kathleen Mills, said she hoped the inquest's findings would bring some relief after three years of torment.

Businessman Ron Bakir, who is bankrolling Corby's defence, said the note was important evidence.

"It'll help prove that the girl has been set up. There's been a drug-trafficking problem at the airport, but she's a victim," he said.

For those of you who have not been following this story a young Australian woman named Schapelle Corby was found in Indonesia with a huge bag of pot in her luggage (kilos). She claims that it was someone else who put it in her luggage and she is innocent. At the moment she is on trial and could easily face the death penalty.

Sheesh, the death penalty is a little much for simply carrying around a plant, don't you think....jeeze, lol, remind me not to visit Indonesia anytime soon.