Schapelle Corby Testifies

Global News Matrix ^ | March 24, 2005 | Matrix Metaphore

[MatrixMetaphore]

A TEARFUL Schapelle Corby took the stand at her drug smuggling trial in Bali today, saying she had no idea how a stash of marijuana got into her luggage.

The panel of three Indonesian judges hearing the case meanwhile gave the defence until April 7 to produce a key witness who is now in a Victorian jail.

Ms Corby, 27, is facing a possible death sentence over accusations she tried to smuggle 4.1kg of cannabis into Bali's Denpasar airport in her boogieboard bag last October.

"I don't like drugs," she said, pleading with judges to make the "right decision" and let her go home to Australia.

"It's not my drugs. I wouldn't even know where to get the drugs from."

Ms Corby's fate may now hinge on the testimony of a Victorian prisoner – named in court today as John Ford.

The judges gave three possible dates for Ford to testify about an alleged Australia-based drug ring: next Tuesday, March 29; Thursday, March 31; or April 7.

Ms Corby hopes his evidence will clear her name.

Earlier, she told Denpasar District Court that she had never been involved with illegal drugs.

Asked to examine the pillowcase-sized sized stash on the witness stand, Ms Corby refused even to touch the bag, saying: "This is destroying my life."

Ms Corby said she had surrendered her luggage and placed her faith in airport security when she checked in at Brisbane Airport for a Bali holiday with family and friends last year.

"I surrendered it at the airport," she said of her luggage.

"I have nothing to do with it after it leaves my hands."

Challenged by judges to explain where the stash could have come from, she said: "That's what we're here to find out."

"I have many theories in my head. It's been six months. I'm still here."

Offered a last chance to defend herself, Ms Corby said she could add nothing more to prove her innocence.

"I didn't do it," she said. "I would not jeopardise my life like this."

The court had earlier burst into applause after an Australian criminologist said he had no doubt Ms Corby was an unwitting drug mule who had been used by a criminal gang.

Bond University professor and criminologist Paul Wilson – who has studied similar cases in Thailand – said Ms Corby 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," he said.

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

A senior Qantas baggage handler from Brisbane airport, Scott Stephens, meanwhile testified 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.

Australia's consul in Bali Brent Hall said he had written to Indonesian authorities in support of Ms Corby's bid for an adjournment to allow Ford to be flown to the holiday island to testify.

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

Prime Minister John Howard also took a personal interest in her case, saying the Government was doing everything it could to help Ms Corby.

"We will do everything that we are properly and reasonably asked to do (by Ms Corby's lawyers) to see that any relevant evidence is presented," he said.

[MatrixMetaphore]

Whether she had anything to do with this I don't know. My problem with this case is the lact of effort on the Australian Government's part. This young woman was arrested and faces death for a conviction that, if here in the states, would have a substantial prison sentence. Execution is not warranted in my opinion, and I fail to understand why her government is barely helping.

[Huntress]

I tend to agree, but I'm not buying her story that she didn't know how the drugs got into her luggage. How the heck can you NOT notice that much pot?

[MatrixMetaphore]

You very well may be right. That's why I'm not commenting on whether I think she did it or not. I really don't know. My concern is the sentence. Death for marijuana? The US would be all over this if it were an American.

[Huntress]

Death for marijuana? The US would be all over this if it were an American.

I agree. This case reminds me of the kid who was sentenced to be caned in Singapore for vandalism or some such thing. His name was Michael Fay, if I recall correctly.

[MatrixMetaphore]

Many countries in that region have punishment for crimes which seem unnaturally harsh compared to the US. Australia agrees with the US on the Corby issue. Why didn't they get involved sooner, and why aren't they doing more?

[river rat]

"Scott Stephens, meanwhile testified 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...

THAT's how drugs, or BOMBS could be placed in baggage going aboard a plane...

So much for "security" in predominately Muslim Indonesia...

Probably a good place to AVOID...

Semper Fi

[MatrixMetaphore]

Anything is possible. I suppose that a crew member, or someone like an engineer, could have done it.

[robertpaulsen]

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

Who better to smuggle drugs?

Yes, yes, yes, she could be innocent. But if it were that easy to plant drugs in other's suitcases and checked items, then why doesn't it happen more often?

Why doesn't her attorney stand up and say, "Your honor, this represents the 57th time this month that something like this happened. My client is as innocent as all the rest!".

From another article:

"Prosecutors claim Corby admitted owning the marijuana and refused to open the bag when Indonesian customs officers at an X-ray machine identified a suspicious package inside."

"Corby has accused the customs officers of lying. She said she never admitted owning the marijuana - only the boogie-board bag it was in - and she had voluntarily opened the boogie-board bag to pass the customs inspection on her way out of the airport."

"She was shocked to see and smell the package of marijuana inside, she said."

"However, two anti-drugs squad officers, who were the first police officers on the scene, supported previous testimony from customs representatives that Corby had tried to stop them opening the bag."

"The hand of (customs officer) Gusti Winata was stopped and pressed by Corby when he started to open the bag," police officer I Gusti Ngurah Bagus Astawa told the three-judge panel on Friday."

"She said, 'No! No! I have something'."

Defence lawyer Erwin Siregar asked the court to check airport security cameras from that day to prove the officers were lying."

"Chief judge Gde Damendra promised to take up the issue at the next hearing on February 17, when another customs officer would be called to give evidence. "If there was a camera we can look at it together," Mr Damendra said."

Reminds me of the movie Brokedown Palace.

[robertpaulsen]

"How the heck can you NOT notice that much pot?"

Exactly. A boogie board is not that big and weighs maybe 4-5 pounds.

We're talking about a pillow-sized stash of marijuana weighing twice that.

[TKDietz]

Four kilos of marijuana is probably not worth much in Bali. You wouldn't get very far down the street there without street peddlers hounding you trying to sell you cheap pot or hash or underaged girls. For some reason people there don't seem to be too concerned that selling drugs is a capitol offense.

[robertpaulsen]

"Four kilos of marijuana is probably not worth much in Bali."

Well, 4 kilos in Brisbane goes for $36,000.

If professional drug smugglers were involved here and planted the drugs, why would they? Marijuana is cheaper in Bali than Australia, and most often, marijuana is smuggled out, not in.

Of course, maybe Corby didn't know that and thought she could double her money there? Or was she passing through?

[sara_jane]

I've just been looking at http://www.dontShootSchapelle.com where they are raising money for the reward. It looks like some pretty big people are starting to throw their support behind Schapelle Corby, even in London. This is such a tragic story but it is good to see Australians coming out of the woodwork everywhere to support this girl.

[robertpaulsen]

According to the website you posted, the theory is that professional drug smugglers disguised as baggage handlers planted $36,000 worth of marijuana in Australia (where marijuana is expensive) in order to smuggle it to Indonesia (where marijuana is cheap)?

THAT's the theory? THAT makes sense to you?

Furthermore, they placed this "pillow-sized" stash of marijuana into a boogie board bag, which is not that much bigger -- and she didn't notice the difference?

And this stash weighed 4 kilos (nine pounds), twice the weight of her boogie board -- and she didn't notice the weight change? (Carry a 5-pound book bag around, then let me add two 5-pound bags of sugar and tell me you wouldn't notice.)

Here's a kid with a boogie board, and a board with carrying case. 4-5 pounds of styrofoam, tops.

Due to the sloppy procedures, she may end up getting off. But she is guilty.

[jill fox]

i just hope it never happens to you she didnt see her luggage until she collected at the other end do you really think someone would be that stupid to take dope into bali when you can buy it cheaper there and eveyone knows what a corrupt system operates over there so much for their religious beliefs of being fair and kind.

[jill fox]

Im wondering if youve been following this case at all if you had you would realize that the dope was suppose to be taken of in Sydney not to go to Bali

[bwteim]

Whatever you're smoking, don't pass it around. You are about 4 months late on this topic.

[robertpaulsen]

"the dope was suppose to be taken of in Sydney not to go to Bali"

So they say.

I ask you -- if you wanted to smuggle a pillow case sized bag of marijuana worth $36,000 a distance of 600 miles, would you place it in a stranger's luggage at an airport of all places? With a final destination of Bali?

Paying some idiot $1000 to put it in the trunk of his car and drive the 600 miles never occurred to them?

As I asked earlier, she picked up her boogie board off the conveyor and didn't notice it weighed three times as much and had a big soft bulge in the middle?

Please don't take me and the other posters for fools.