[kall]

Well, the verdict has finally been read.

Ms Corby was found guilty of smuggling 4.1 kilograms of marijuana in her bodyboard bag into Indonesis, back on October 8 2004.

October 13, 2004: Corby is paraded in front of the media, protesting her innocence. She tells Channel Nine she had the shock of her life when she saw the drugs in her bag in Bali. If convicted, Corby could face the death penalty or life in prison and a $150,000 fine.

January 28, 2005: Corby's trial begins. Prosecutors tell the court Corby said the marijuana was hers.

February 4, 2005: The 27-year-old denies admitting the drugs were hers.

February 25, 2005: Gold Coast businessman, Ron Bakir, offers to help Corby with financial backing needed to defend the charges. Mr Bakir and Gold Coast lawyer Robin Tampoe travel to the Indonesian island to meet Corby's legal team.

March 24, 2005: Corby gives evidence in her own defence. She tells the court she has no idea how the marijuana came to be in her luggage.

April 14, 2005: Corby collapses in court; her sister blames the ever-present media pack for contributing to her stress.

April 21, 2005: Prosecutors ask for life sentence if Corby is convicted; this is seen as a reprieve because the offence carries a maximum penalty of death.

April 28, 2005: Corby delivers an impassioned plea to the judges, protesting her innocence. The speech fails to make an impact; even after the statement is translated to the chief judge, Linton Sirait, he says it does not prove her innocence.

April 29, 2005: John Patrick Ford, who has been remanded in prison to face charges in Victoria, tells the court in Denpasar he overheard prisoners talking about a stash of marijuana that was lost while being smuggled by baggage handlers. In a separate development, Chief judge Linton Sirait sentences a South African man to life imprisonment, for being caught with 1 kilogram of heroin.

May 6, 2005: It is revealed that John ford, the accused rapist who gave evidence in the Corby trial, was stabbed in prison. Corby's lawyers say this strengthens his claims that he heard other prisoners discussing the planting of drugs in Corby's bag.

May 8, 2005: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirms a man rang the Australian consulate in Bali in 1997, when he found a package of marijuana in his bag after flying in from Melbourne. DFAT told the man one of his options was to flush the drugs down the toilet. In a separate development, the head of the Balinese drug squad says he sees some weaknesses in the case against Schapelle Corby. Colonel Bambang Sugiarto tells Channel Nine the lack of video footage at Denpasar Airport, and problems with fingerprinting, have impeded the prosecution's case.

May 12, 2005: Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Mick Keelty questions Corby's defence about the involvement of baggage handlers and plays down evidence by Victorian prisoner John Ford as unsubstantiated. The Law Council of Australia says Mr Keelty acted dangerously in commenting publicly on the case. The court in Denpasar is told that Corby flew to Bali on the same day that Sydney baggage handlers are alleged to have trafficked cocaine through the airport.

May 13, 2005: The chief judge says allegations that Sydney baggage handlers were involved in drug trafficking will have no effect on the Corby case.

May 15, 2005: The Prime Minister John Howard says the Government has provided a letter to Corby's lawyers, outlining allegations that Qantas baggage handlers in Sydney have been involved in drug trafficking. Corby's lawyers say the letter does not go far enough. Mr Howard says he feels for Corby, but the Government cannot interfere in Indonesia's legal system. The chief judge in Denpasar rejects the letter as irrelevant.

May 17, 2005: Indonesian Embassy in Canberra confirms it has been receiving death threats in relation to the Schapelle Corby drug case.

May 22, 2005: Corby writes to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

May 25, 2005: Australian Justice Minister Chris Ellison says the Government is looking at formulating a one-off prisoner exchange agreement for Corby if she is found guilty.

May 27, 2005: Corby found guilty by a Bali court of importing a narcotic into Indonesia, sentenced to 20 years in jail and fined $13,875.

[trogg]

Option 1 : She is completely insane and has a death wish
Option 2 : She is innocent and is the victim of dodgy baggage handlers and an even more dodgy "justice" system.

My money would be on option 2.
Sure she could have proved she didn't put the drugs into her bag but did the Indonesian Police prove that she intentionally did?
There is too much doubt in my mind to lock her up for over SEVEN THOUSAND days, especially after the security issues with the baggage handlers.

I know one thing from all of this... buggered if I am ever going to Bali

[kall]

The Indonesian justice system has not the concept of 'Reasonable Doubt' built into it.

I think there, it is more like 'Guilty until proven innocent'.

[ICE]

It has been proven that baggage handlers did it before all over the world....

[Sparklechick]

Bali certainly isn't on my list of places to go that's for sure.

[sillkee]

Corrupt as the Indonesian Legal system is...With the evidence stacked against her any country in the world would have found prima facie. Bali's legal system with this sort of case is Guilty till proven innocent. Personally i think her defense team didnt do a very good job at all, and why is the Australian Government willing to send over two QC's for the appeal, yet didnt bother doing so for the initial case. Because that smacks of reaction to media frenzy. Rather than belief in innocence. And Im curious to know about these false passports she had supposedly been travelling under all through Asia. And I dont think her job as a hostess/dancer in Asian clubs endeared her to anyone over there either. I think we'll find that there is alot more information yet to come out on this one.
But I truly feel for her, whether she is innocent or guilty!

[kall]

What was the evidence exactly?

Was it conclusive proof that she was guilty, or was it just that she could not provide proof she was not?

Aside from the blatant insanity of doing the thing she is accused of doing...what else was there she could do to prove it?

[sillkee]

All anyone court needs for prima facie, was, the bag in her name, the bag full of dak, and her holding the bag. If this happened in our airport, the same charges wouldve been laid. And yep with prima facie, the defences case is to prove innocence. Their case consisted of hypothetical ideas of baggage handlers using unsuspecting folks as mules, yet they didnt prove that happened.

[kall]

Huh? What? "Her holding the bag?"

I was under the impression she was arrested prior to picking up her luggage.

Also, why did the courts reject the material evidence that was to be given by the 5 Australians who were present when the bag was packed, to the effect that there was no marijuana in it prior to it passing into the control of the Airport officials?

And why did they reject the testimony and Psycological Evaluation performed by the Professor of Criminology?

Seems very WTF to me.

No way I'm ever travelling to Indonesia, thats for damned sure.

[busyness53]

My bet is on the handlers as well, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time,
by the way was there any mention of money involved. Would you do it if a large amount of money was offered. I feel that most of these drug bust at airports involve a large amount of money, otherwise why do it?

[kall]

Apparently, according to Scoop, the reason western people carry drugs into Indonesia is this:

As a westerner, it is very risky to ask an indonesian for drugs, as they may be a policeman or other official.

If you see a person who looks like you do, there is more of a chance they will be a tourist too.

[sillkee]

Posted in reply to kall's post "Schapelle Corby Guilty - 20 Year..."

Huh? What? "Her holding the bag?"

I was under the impression she was arrested prior to picking up her luggage...... No! she was arrested after picking up her luggage, she was actually dragging the bag due to its heaviness.

Also, why did the courts reject the material evidence that was to be given by the 5 Australians who were present when the bag was packed, to the effect that there was no marijuana in it prior to it passing into the control of the Airport officials?....... Our courts arent too into hearsay(sp) so why should Indonesias?

And why did they reject the testimony and Psycological Evaluation performed by the Professor of Criminology?......... Because he had a 2hour interview with Corby, and came out saying basically..'that she doesnt seem the type'

Seems very WTF to me....... Me too!

No way I'm ever travelling to Indonesia, thats for damned sure......... Again ..Me too!!!
_____

[kall]

Sheesh....I dunno then.

The main thing that makes me think she was set up/the victim of some group of smugglers is the abject stupidity of the act.

[kereta7]

most aussies think shes not guilty?

most indonesian think she is?
are these fair statements? do we go by feelings or facts? there is always two sides to a story!
and what about kiwis??

VOICE your opinion!
further discussions & news update on schapelle Corby can be found on this and other forums:

[kall]

Thank you kereta7, but we already have a thread on this subject. I will merge your post into it and remove the blatantly spammy URL.

If you want people to link to you, you ask them. Don't just go posting your site into other peoples.

[busyness53]

An add on to my last reply,
DAK is not as bad as the other shite coming in to the countries,
like P, Heroin, Ecstasy and all the other crap, DAk is better than a
loaded gun even a bloody bomb. I feel for Shapelle and her family.
The Indonesian govt. should look at their own backyard, it is quite
possible that some of those buggers smuggle it into other countries
or better still, they're probably pissed off with the Australian GOVT
because they wanted the money which was offered after the tsunami
hit.