I don´t have any more doubts that this girl is actually GUILTY! I have read her book and I am not impressed. I have also visited Kerobokan prison many times and it is not such a hell-hole as it is described. Corby has A LOT of cash and receives a lot of support such as food, money and gifts and must be onle of the “luckiest” prisoners in there. Any doubt of the guilt? read this:
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT
LOCATION: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1805957.htm
Broadcast: 06/12/2006
Lawyer challenges Corby biography
Reporter: John Stewart, Renata Gomback
KERRY O’BRIEN: With 17,000 copies of her biography already sold in the first week, Schapelle Corby’s torrid tale of life inside a Balinese jail stands to make many thousands of dollars, but the profit from the book sales may come at a price. In the book, Schapelle Corby blames everyone else for her fate - the Australian Federal Police, lax airport security, corrupt baggage handlers and even her lawyers all receive a pasting. But one of those named and blamed for Schapelle Corby’s 20-year prison sentence is now hitting back. Her former legal assistant Vasu Rasiah has spoken exclusively with the ABC’s investigative unit, threatening to expose damaging inside information on the defence case. This exclusive report from John Stewart and Renata Gomback from the ABC’s investigative unit.
JOHN STEWART: In March this year, Indian police burnt Schapelle Corby’s boogie board and the 4 kilos of marijuana found inside her bag. It was a highly symbolic act, more like a cremation than a drug disposal. Any more appeals from the Corby camp literally went up in a puff of smoke. As far as the Indonesians were concerned, the Schapelle Corby case was over, the chapter closed on the Australian drug runner. But the case wasn’t over for the Corbies. Just weeks ago Schapelle Corby’s biography, My Story was released in time for the Christmas sales. The book is in the non-fiction section and members of her family say it is all true. The author says she is innocent and blames many other people for her 20-year prison sentence, including the Australian Federal Police.
VASU RASIAH, LEGAL ASSISTANT: Everything was manipulated. Everything was manipulated. Everything was manipulated. This is a matter of - I mean, when we got off the case, we were really happy.
JOHN STEWART: Vasu Rasiah was Schapelle Corby’s legal assistant and at the centre of her Bali-based legal team right from the very start. Schapelle Corby’s biography hasn’t been kind to Mr Rasiah, describing him as a “money hungry bully.” The attack has prompted him to speak out about the case for the first time.
VASU RASIAH: From day one of the case and they’re involved, various schemes of making money in various ways. One of the reasons why we are so happy we are out of the case is it was nothing but making money.
JOHN STEWART: He says Schapelle Corby’s defence was undermined by constant attempts by some members of the Corby family to profit from the media attention.
VASU RASIAH: If person is on a death row and - all of the family must focus on the issue and how to address the issue. It all depends - everything should be focused on that. But here the 100 per cent focus was not on that. The focus was on making different deals.
JOHN STEWART: Earlier this year the 7:30 Report revealed that the Corby camp rejected an offer by the Australian Federal Police to DNA test the marijuana found inside Schapelle Corby’s boogie board bag. Schapelle Corby’s mother Rose Lee denied this, but now Vasu Rasiah has confirmed the offer indeed was rejected by a Corby family member, once it was explained to them that the results could be passed on to the Indonesian police.
VASU RASIAH: You know, originally we went to Canberra and met experts and Adelaide experts. They said by testing the marijuana they can identify exactly where it is manufactured and then they can give a DNA sample, all those things. We even got a couple of samples from the Bali police for this testing and then when we asked Mercedes to give an answer, she delayed more than a week. We insisted it was good for the case if they can do a DNA test and prove it is not from Queensland and it is out, that is also added information for the case. They came and said no, please don’t put this angle in because it’s detrimental to the case.
JOHN STEWART: On that fateful morning of October 8 2004, Schapelle Corby headed to Brisbane airport at 4.30 am to catch her flight to Bali. For the first time, we can reveal, sources close to the family say that in the pre dawn darkness she met with a man from Adelaide. This meeting almost caused her to miss her 6:00 am flight. Vasu Rasiah says that if Schapelle Corby makes any further attacks on his reputation he will have more to say about how the defence case was run.
VASU RASIAH: If they push us too hard, we will tell the whole world what exactly took place and how it all went about.
JOHN STEWART: Mr Rasiah said that Mercedes Corby was the key organising force behind her sister’s defence. Mercedes Corby is married to a Balinese man and has moved between Australia and Bali for many years. In October 2004 the Corby family and friends were travelling to Bali to celebrate Mercedes Corby’s birthday. Mercedes Corby has always maintained that she and her family have no connections to the drug world.
REPORTER: Is there anybody in your family, either a stepfather or distant relative, is there anybody who’s been convicted or involved in the drugs trade?
MERCEDES CORBY: No, not that I know of. No, there wouldn’t be. They don’t even check the facts. Like, I don’t live here. I don’t own a surf shop. I’m not a drug person. Schapelle, oh!
JOHN STEWART: But while it doesn’t make her a drug runner, Mercedes Corby doesn’t mind the occasional indulgence herself. This photograph shows her preparing marijuana with a group of friends. Earlier this year, the 7:30 Report revealed that Michael Corby senior lived next door to a man called Tony Lewis. At that time Tony Lewis had been charged with growing hydroponic marijuana on a commercial scale. In May this year, he was found guilty and convicted. The Queensland police were tipped off about Tony Lewis’ marijuana crop by a local woman called Kim Moore, a former hard drug user. She told the police she first met Michael Corby senior while having dinner with Tony Lewis at the local pub.
KIM MOORE: Then, I didn’t know who he was. I just knew him as Mick. Anyway, we invited them to join us so they joined us.
JOHN STEWART: On October 16th 2004, three weeks before Schapelle Corby was arrested in Bali, Kim Moore made a statement to the Queensland police. The statement became the basis of a Queensland police crime intelligence report. It named two people who were later confirmed by the ABC’s investigative unit to be members of the Corby family. The Queensland police state drug investigation groups followed up the information supplied by Kim Moore in the crime intelligence report. The Queensland police have today told us that they have no evidence to suggest that any other person is linked to the cannabis seizure at Tony Lewis’ property. However, they say they are unable to comment on any investigation that may be conducted as a result of information received. As for the proceeds from the book, the Corbys say they will use the money to fund further legal challenges. The Corby family has declined many requests to be interviewed. Despite the Corby family’s repeated denials that they have any links to the drug trade, its is curious that the Corby family name continues to be associated with drug matters.
REPORTER: They are not your drugs?
SCHAPELLE CORBY: They are not my drugs.
REPORTER: None of your family’s drugs?
SCHAPELLE CORBY: No, no.
REPORTER: Your brother’s drugs?
SCHAPELLE CORBY: No.
REPORTER: Your friend’s?
SCHAPELLE CORBY: No.
VASU RASIAH: If they push us to a corner, then we have no option but to reveal all the truth and everything that took place. We will. That would be very damaging.
Annother story that might make you think twice about Corbys innocence… This one from theage.com.au
Perhaps the most compelling reason so many Australians believe Schapelle Corby is innocent is the “coals to Newcastle” argument: why would anyone smuggle marijuana to Bali when everyone knows it’s so easy to get there?
While drugs might seem freely available on the streets, the foreigners who live in Bali, including those serving time in Kerobokan jail, say that buying them is a very risky business because you never know if the seller is an undercover police officer or a police informer.
For that reason, westerners in Bali are prepared to pay premium prices for marijuana if they can get it from other Westerners, as that’s the best way to ensure they are not going to be trapped and arrested.
According to four sources in Bali contacted by The Age, including one former and one current drug dealer, high-quality Australian marijuana, similar in appearance to that found in Schapelle Corby’s luggage, has been sold on a limited basis in Bali for years, but only to Westerners.
One European man, now serving a jail term for possessing hashish, said he knows of several Australians who have been bringing strong hydroponic marijuana into Bali.
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AdvertisementHe said it brings “really good money”, getting a price around 50 per cent higher than the Nepalese hashish that is more widely available for around $A16 a gram on the streets.
He said the marijuana was stronger than hashish, which is produced from the same plant and has the same active constituents. “You just can’t move, it’s like (being) brain dead,” he said of its effect.
An Australian who says he’s lived in Bali for 15 years contacted The Age several times to say his children were frequently offered marijuana called “Aussie gold”. The man, who refused to give his name, said the “hydroponic bud” smuggled from Australia sells for $A600 an ounce (about $A21 a gram) or as much as $A20,000 a kilogram.
Top quality marijuana in Australia sells for around $8000 a kilogram, although more when broken into “deals”.
A Balinese drug dealer who has spent time in jail said he had smoked the Australian “skunk” many times with friends from Italy, Germany and Australia but had never bought or sold any.
He recognised the marijuana as Australian as it was made up of large flowers or buds, while the marijuana he sells from Aceh in north Sumatra or from Malang in East Java has much smaller buds and a lot of leaf mixed in.
Despite requests from Corby’s lawyers, Indonesian police did not test the marijuana in her bag to find out where it was grown or its strength, and it is not certain it was grown hydroponically, a cultivation method that increases its potency. But when the bag of marijuana was displayed in the court, it was clear it was made up of buds the size of bananas, which emitted a powerful smell whenever the plastic bag was opened.
While marijuana in the 1970s had THC (active ingredient) levels of around 1 to 2 per cent, today’s hydroponic marijuana often has THC levels of 15 per cent, higher than a lot of hashish.
The Balinese drug dealer, who would not be named, said that while there was a lot of marijuana for sale, “it’s hard for foreigners to get access to it” because they were fearful of getting caught. “It’s safer for foreigners to bring their own. It’s been happening for quite some time and it’s not only marijuana.”
While he was aware of the importation of marijuana from Australia, he said it was more common for foreigners to bring in hashish or other drugs.
While a number of foreigners have been arrested for trafficking or possessing hashish, Bali police say the marijuana found in Corby’s luggage was the first incidence in which they have found the drug being brought into Bali from another country.
I don´t have any more doubts that this girl is actually GUILTY! I have read her book and I am not impressed. I have also visited Kerobokan prison many times and it is not such a hell-hole as it is described. Corby has A LOT of cash and receives a lot of support such as food, money and gifts and must be onle of the “luckiest” prisoners in there. Any doubt of the guilt? read this:
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT
LOCATION: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1805957.htm
Broadcast: 06/12/2006
Lawyer challenges Corby biography
Reporter: John Stewart, Renata Gomback
KERRY O’BRIEN: With 17,000 copies of her biography already sold in the first week, Schapelle Corby’s torrid tale of life inside a Balinese jail stands to make many thousands of dollars, but the profit from the book sales may come at a price. In the book, Schapelle Corby blames everyone else for her fate - the Australian Federal Police, lax airport security, corrupt baggage handlers and even her lawyers all receive a pasting. But one of those named and blamed for Schapelle Corby’s 20-year prison sentence is now hitting back. Her former legal assistant Vasu Rasiah has spoken exclusively with the ABC’s investigative unit, threatening to expose damaging inside information on the defence case. This exclusive report from John Stewart and Renata Gomback from the ABC’s investigative unit.
JOHN STEWART: In March this year, Indian police burnt Schapelle Corby’s boogie board and the 4 kilos of marijuana found inside her bag. It was a highly symbolic act, more like a cremation than a drug disposal. Any more appeals from the Corby camp literally went up in a puff of smoke. As far as the Indonesians were concerned, the Schapelle Corby case was over, the chapter closed on the Australian drug runner. But the case wasn’t over for the Corbies. Just weeks ago Schapelle Corby’s biography, My Story was released in time for the Christmas sales. The book is in the non-fiction section and members of her family say it is all true. The author says she is innocent and blames many other people for her 20-year prison sentence, including the Australian Federal Police.
VASU RASIAH, LEGAL ASSISTANT: Everything was manipulated. Everything was manipulated. Everything was manipulated. This is a matter of - I mean, when we got off the case, we were really happy.
JOHN STEWART: Vasu Rasiah was Schapelle Corby’s legal assistant and at the centre of her Bali-based legal team right from the very start. Schapelle Corby’s biography hasn’t been kind to Mr Rasiah, describing him as a “money hungry bully.” The attack has prompted him to speak out about the case for the first time.
VASU RASIAH: From day one of the case and they’re involved, various schemes of making money in various ways. One of the reasons why we are so happy we are out of the case is it was nothing but making money.
JOHN STEWART: He says Schapelle Corby’s defence was undermined by constant attempts by some members of the Corby family to profit from the media attention.
VASU RASIAH: If person is on a death row and - all of the family must focus on the issue and how to address the issue. It all depends - everything should be focused on that. But here the 100 per cent focus was not on that. The focus was on making different deals.
JOHN STEWART: Earlier this year the 7:30 Report revealed that the Corby camp rejected an offer by the Australian Federal Police to DNA test the marijuana found inside Schapelle Corby’s boogie board bag. Schapelle Corby’s mother Rose Lee denied this, but now Vasu Rasiah has confirmed the offer indeed was rejected by a Corby family member, once it was explained to them that the results could be passed on to the Indonesian police.
VASU RASIAH: You know, originally we went to Canberra and met experts and Adelaide experts. They said by testing the marijuana they can identify exactly where it is manufactured and then they can give a DNA sample, all those things. We even got a couple of samples from the Bali police for this testing and then when we asked Mercedes to give an answer, she delayed more than a week. We insisted it was good for the case if they can do a DNA test and prove it is not from Queensland and it is out, that is also added information for the case. They came and said no, please don’t put this angle in because it’s detrimental to the case.
JOHN STEWART: On that fateful morning of October 8 2004, Schapelle Corby headed to Brisbane airport at 4.30 am to catch her flight to Bali. For the first time, we can reveal, sources close to the family say that in the pre dawn darkness she met with a man from Adelaide. This meeting almost caused her to miss her 6:00 am flight. Vasu Rasiah says that if Schapelle Corby makes any further attacks on his reputation he will have more to say about how the defence case was run.
VASU RASIAH: If they push us too hard, we will tell the whole world what exactly took place and how it all went about.
JOHN STEWART: Mr Rasiah said that Mercedes Corby was the key organising force behind her sister’s defence. Mercedes Corby is married to a Balinese man and has moved between Australia and Bali for many years. In October 2004 the Corby family and friends were travelling to Bali to celebrate Mercedes Corby’s birthday. Mercedes Corby has always maintained that she and her family have no connections to the drug world.
REPORTER: Is there anybody in your family, either a stepfather or distant relative, is there anybody who’s been convicted or involved in the drugs trade?
MERCEDES CORBY: No, not that I know of. No, there wouldn’t be. They don’t even check the facts. Like, I don’t live here. I don’t own a surf shop. I’m not a drug person. Schapelle, oh!
JOHN STEWART: But while it doesn’t make her a drug runner, Mercedes Corby doesn’t mind the occasional indulgence herself. This photograph shows her preparing marijuana with a group of friends. Earlier this year, the 7:30 Report revealed that Michael Corby senior lived next door to a man called Tony Lewis. At that time Tony Lewis had been charged with growing hydroponic marijuana on a commercial scale. In May this year, he was found guilty and convicted. The Queensland police were tipped off about Tony Lewis’ marijuana crop by a local woman called Kim Moore, a former hard drug user. She told the police she first met Michael Corby senior while having dinner with Tony Lewis at the local pub.
KIM MOORE: Then, I didn’t know who he was. I just knew him as Mick. Anyway, we invited them to join us so they joined us.
JOHN STEWART: On October 16th 2004, three weeks before Schapelle Corby was arrested in Bali, Kim Moore made a statement to the Queensland police. The statement became the basis of a Queensland police crime intelligence report. It named two people who were later confirmed by the ABC’s investigative unit to be members of the Corby family. The Queensland police state drug investigation groups followed up the information supplied by Kim Moore in the crime intelligence report. The Queensland police have today told us that they have no evidence to suggest that any other person is linked to the cannabis seizure at Tony Lewis’ property. However, they say they are unable to comment on any investigation that may be conducted as a result of information received. As for the proceeds from the book, the Corbys say they will use the money to fund further legal challenges. The Corby family has declined many requests to be interviewed. Despite the Corby family’s repeated denials that they have any links to the drug trade, its is curious that the Corby family name continues to be associated with drug matters.
REPORTER: They are not your drugs?
SCHAPELLE CORBY: They are not my drugs.
REPORTER: None of your family’s drugs?
SCHAPELLE CORBY: No, no.
REPORTER: Your brother’s drugs?
SCHAPELLE CORBY: No.
REPORTER: Your friend’s?
SCHAPELLE CORBY: No.
VASU RASIAH: If they push us to a corner, then we have no option but to reveal all the truth and everything that took place. We will. That would be very damaging.