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APPEAL court judges in Bali have agreed to reopen Schapelle Corby's case and allow new evidence from a dozen defence witnesses, including a prisoner who had allegedly admitted owning the marijuana stash Corby was caught with. In a highly unusual step, the Bali High Court chief judge Made Lingga said yesterday he would allow Corby's lawyers to present new witnesses, who would back the former Gold Coast beauty student's claims that she did not know about 4.1kg of marijuana found in her bodyboard bag at Bali airport last October 8. Judge Lingga said that after reviewing the lower court decision...

Schapelle Corby's lawyers tried to get the Australian Government to give them $500,000 to bribe the Indonesian judges overseeing her appeal, two Perth lawyers claimed yesterday. Mark Trowell, one of two QCs asked by the Government to help her case, said the request was made earlier this month at a meeting he attended in Bali. Corby's Indonesian lawyers also requested in a written document that $500,000 be forwarded to them from the Australian Government for "lobbying". Mr Trowell said Corby was unaware of the request, which was rejected immediately. Mr Trowell and fellow Perth lawyer Phillip Laskaris were initially sounded...

Thursday, 9 June, 2005, 12:44 GMT 13:44 UK Corby stirs Australia's 'dark side' By Phil Mercer BBC News, Sydney Australia is beginning to assess the fall-out from the extraordinary public anger at the jailing last month of 27-year-old Schapelle Corby. The former beauty therapy student was sentenced to 20 years in jail by an Indonesian court for drug trafficking. The verdict unleashed what the Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne described as "a tide of vitriol, racism and tribal prejudice" and there are now concerns that Australia's reputation, and its relationship with Jakarta, has suffered. Contempt was heaped on just about...

Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, says a draft prisoner exchange accord has been drawn up and presented to Indonesia. On Friday, an Indonesian court found Australian woman Schappelle Corby guilty of smuggling more than four-kilograms of marijuana into Bali last year, sentencing her to 20-years in jail. It's a case that's generated intense media and public interest in Australia. Mr Downer has told the American television network CNN that a team will be travelling to Indonesia soon to discuss a possible prisoner exchange deal "We've sent a draft text to the Indonesians which covers all prisoners, it's not specific to...

CHAPELLE Corby is suffering cruel abuse and racial taunts in jail as Indonesian authorities move to keep her in prison for life. The Indonesian Government yesterday backed the prosecution bid to toughen Corby's 20-year jail sentence for smuggling 4.1 kilograms of marijuana into Bali's airport last October. "The 20 years in jail handed down by the Denpasar District Court is too light," Indonesian Attorney-General Abdul Rahman Sale told the Bali Post newspaper. "She deserves to be sentenced to life." As the reality of the marathon jail term sank in, Corby, 27, issued a heartfelt thank you to the nation....

A 27-year-old Australian beauty student is facing a firing-squad sentence in Indonesia for smuggling marijuana she claims was planted in her luggage. Schapelle Corby yesterday remained sedated in her prison cell as her lawyer questioned whether she'll be mentally strong enough to take the stand in a final bid to win her freedom. Meanwhile, Corby's plight has attracted support from Hollywood actor Russell Crowe, who says he was heartbroken by the sight of her tears on Australian newspaper front pages. Her defense begins Thursday and Corby may make her own plea for mercy and justice. Australian officials are said...