CORBY CASE LATEST

Some developments in the Schapelle Corby case over the weekend.

This week her lawyers in Bali will have a final chance to attack the evidence of the Customs officers who arrested her with more than four kilograms of cannabis in her boogie board bag in Bali.

They will claim, in what to me seems to be a desperate last fling, that the officers who arrested her cannot be relied on because of the poor grasp of English.

Closer to home there were weekend headlines about the prisoner flown to Bali to give evidence – hearsay evidence – on Corby’s behalf. John Ford was stabbed in prison after giving evidence for Corby.

One headline said: Witness fears for his life and the story said “Melbourne prisoner John Ford, stabbed in jail after giving evidence for Schapelle Corby, fears he will be murdered within days”. Dramatic stuff. Payback stuff.

My information is that “stabbed” is an evocative but, in the case, wrong word. It is true Ford had several cuts. They were inflicted with a razor blade on his back. My info is that he did it himself.

Keep in mind Ford faces a bail application in a few days. What better way to get out, to get a sympathetic hearing at a bail hearing, than to picture yourself as a brave, fearless witness about to be murdered in prison just because you put you hand up and went to Bali to help an innocent young Australian wrongly accused of drug running.?

Ford is an accused rapist who “risked his life” by giving evidence at the Corby trial in which he blamed Australian criminals (especially baggage handlers) for Corby’s marijuana bust. At least he got a brief holiday in Bali for his story.

He supposedly told an acquaintance recently that “the next time my name will be read out in court will be at a Coroner’s Court”.

He also said another prisoner said: “Your life is shit. You won’t make it out of here alive.”

I received an e-mail; overnight from a listener who said: “I believe she has NOT had a fair trial because she is a woman, white and a westerner of whom the Islamic countries such as Indonesia hate. As far as the courts over there are concerned, she is guilty and they just love the fact they have power over a white woman.”

How does that explain the charges against all those you white males who are alleged drug runners?

In another drug development the Bali Nine look like becoming the Bali 14 after more arrests here in Australia. And a Sydney court has been told that four of the Nine were involved in a successful heroin run from Bali last year.

Monday, May 9, 2005

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2005