Schapelle Corby

Cathy thinks the Schapelle Corby verdict is an outrage. She also has some excellent travel advice for travelling to “bongo bongo” countries.

Cathy also recounts the time she had some difficulties in a foreign country (and I can verify it was true, as I was doing my small part to help through the UK High Commission). The advice from NZ Govt was “Cathy, do you still have your passport”, “yes”, “oh good – then just get the fuck out of there”.

Her conclusion based on market economics is that “not even an Australian is stupid enough to risk their life to smuggle something as worthless as marijuana INTO Indonesia. It’s akin to importing Coconuts into the Pacific Islands, ice to Antarctica or alligators to New Orleans!

I’m not quite so convinced. From what I have heard Australian marijuana is much more valuable than the local variety and the 4 kgs had a street value of $80,000.

I certainly think the Indonesian legal system has not given her a fair trial. I am less convinced she is necessairly innocent. According to Wikipedia, the customs officer at the airport “he asked Corby to open her bag and she opened up an empty compartment of the bag. When he demanded a different compartment of the bag to be opened, she tried to prevent him from performing his duty”

Almost everyone found smuggling drugs claims “Oh someone else put them there”. Now soemtimes this may be true, but no-one would ever be convicted of drug smuggling if it was accepted at face value. Where the Indonesian justice system has failed though is not finger-printing the bag etc.

It is also unfortunate her father has a (minor) drugs conviction. It shouldn’t be a factor but when trying to convince a court that you would never be involved in this sort of thing, I suspect stuff like that does count.

Now don’t get me wrong. The Indonesian justice system has not been fair, and a 20 years sentence is absolutely way over the top. However one can not rule out the possibility that Corby , despite knowing the penalties, did decide to risk it and make some “easy” money.