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February 7, 2014

Free at last: Schapelle Corby granted parole

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Schapelle Corby

The Indonesian Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin announced Corby’s parole had been approved in a press conference in Jakarta this evening.

He said Corby was one of 1571 parole applicants he had considered and approved but stressed that she was not receiving any sort of special treatment.

“Parole is not a generosity from the government, it is a right stated in our government regulations,” he said. “We have to oblige as long as all the requirements are fulfilled.”

It had been speculated that Corby could be freed as early as this afternoon but Indonesian bureaucracy is believed to have made this impossible. Corby’s paperwork must be signed by several different departments, all of whom have already shut for the weekend and will not reopen until Monday. She is expected to finally be freed early next week.

Corby will have to sign a strict parole agreement, which will reportedly state that she must remain in Bali for two years, living in her sister Mercedes’ Kuta compound with Mercedes’ husband and three young children.

Schapelle is believed to be planning to work at Mercedes’ swimwear shop.

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February 7, 2014

Renae Lawrence: Life inside Kerobokan

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Renae Lawrence

Renae, a member of the so-called Bali Nine, called the prison home for eight years, from 2005, when she was convicted of heroin trafficking, to November 2013 when she was relocated to another Indonesian facility.

The Weekly’s news editor Bryce Corbett travelled to Kerobokan to interview Renae last year.

During their hour-long meeting, Renae detailed the fear, anger and boredom that dog the lives of all of the prison’s inmates.

The threat of physical violence is ever-present, and on one occasion, Renae was beaten so badly she could barely walk.

“One of the old bosses of the jail came to see who was making a problem,” Renae says. “And I just stood up, drunk, and said: ‘I am’. And he punched me in the face. So I punched him back. So they tied me up and they just stamped on my head.

“They tied me up and handcuffed me and basically just stomped on me. For the next week or so they wouldn’t let me go to the visiting area, they wouldn’t let me meet with the consular officials – because I had bruises all over me, I could barely walk.

“That’s never been reported before. That guard is no longer in the prison.”

But Renae quickly found a prisoner’s own thoughts could be a much worse tormentor than a violent guard.

“Sometimes you think about what life you did have and how fast it can be taken away from you because of your own stupidity,” she says.

“I think because I have a job in here I don’t have much time to feel sorry for myself. There’s no point feeling sorry for myself. I would only beat the shit out myself for being so stupid. I mean, I can understand why some people get depressed.”

Despite the difficulties of life in prison, Renae is scared of what will happen when she is released.

“It’s hard to explain, but I have become adapted to jail life,” she says. “I mean, I’ll probably walk out the door the day they set me free and be hit by a car.

“Who is going to give Renae Lawrence a job? What am I supposed to do when people recognise me and don’t want anything to do with me?”

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February 7, 2014

Schapelle Corby’s final days in Bali Jail

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After almost nine years in a Bali prison, convicted Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby is finally fee.

Schapelle was one of 1291 prisoners granted parole from Kerobokan prison on Friday and is now spending what is likely to be her final days in a Bali jail.

“Corby has been approved to receive parole because (she) has fulfilled the substantive and administrative requirements set by ministry regulation number 21 of year 2013,” he said.

Kerobokan Prison boss Farid Junaedi said the next possible day for her release would be Monday.

“Now I’m waiting for the letter, without it, I can’t release her,” he told reporters on Friday evening.

“The letter must not be faxed or emailed. It has to be the original letter with the original signature.”

He said she could leave on Monday afternoon if they receive the signed letter by Monday morning.

Schapelle must also wait for both the Prosecutor’s Office and Board of Corrections to sign off on her parole conditions.

Both the Prosecutor’s Office and Board of Corrections are closed over the weekend.

Once she leaves the prison, the 36-year-old is expected to be taken to a villa in an unknown location until media attention following her release dies down.

Schapelle, who has spent the past nine years living in a prison cell with up to 12 others, will now live with her sister Mercedes in her small townhouse in Kuta.

While living with her sister, Schapelle will have to abide by strict parole conditions, including good behaviour, dressing appropriately, and having nothing to do with drugs or misbehaving in any way.

Schapelle must be supervised for another three years and, although her sentence will expire in 2016, she won’t be able to leave until mid-2017.

Indonesian justice minister Amir Syamsuddin told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday about his plans to sign Schapelle’s parole papers.

Schapelle’s was one of 1700 applicants to be signed, with the justice minister insisting she would not receive any special treatment.

Schapelle was sentenced to 20 years in the Bali prison in 2005 after being found with 4.2kg of marijuana in her body board bag.

Good behaviour remissions and a clemency reduction shortened her sentence. In May 2012, the Indonesian president cut a further five years from Schapelle’s 20-year sentence, in addition to the 27 months’ remission she had been granted.

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February 7, 2014

Schapelle Corby still waiting for release

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Schapelle Corby behind bars at the Denpasar District Court in 2006.

Inside Kerobokan Prison, Schapelle Corby has been sitting alone in a holding room waiting a little longer for her imminent release.

Outside, a giant media scrum – growing larger every hour – is ready to capture her first moments of freedom in nearly a decade but the details of her release remain sketchy.

Schapelle’s sister Mercedes arrived shortly before lunch on the motorbike of her husband Wayan and stayed inside the complex for about two and a half hours.

Australian consular officials also visited Corby, with their arrivals and departures creating a massive scene outside the only entrance to the prison.

When Mercedes emerged she appeared calm, making a short statement before she rode away.

“We’ve been waiting for almost a year-and-a-half,” she said. “She’s been eligible for parole for almost a-year-and-a-half. Please just give us privacy. We don’t know yet [when she’s getting out].”

If Corby is not released this afternoon it is expected she will remain behind bars for the weekend.

Although, experts at the site admitted it was difficult to predict what would happen.

There is also debate about whether she will be deported immediately or remain in Bali where her sister and her young family live.

It is believed Corby was sitting alone in a holding area as other prisoners looked on.

In Bali, the debate about her guilt or innocence still rages with many people convinced either way.

All the major networks were represented at the prison entrance from early this morning.

TV hosts such as Today’s Karl Stefanovic was due to arrive this evening with news specials planned when Corby does walk free.

Australia’s best-selling weekly magazine Woman’s Day is planning a 71 page special to commemorate the release which will be on stands next week.

The rush is on to get the first interview with Corby but as yet it is believed no deal has been done as Mercedes is concentrating on getting her sister out.

Corby has suffered from mental health issues for some years.

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February 7, 2014

Schapelle Corby preparing to leave Kerobokan prison

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Schapelle Corby has started packing her bags as the Indonesian justice minister, Amir Syamsuddin, prepares to reveal her fate this afternoon.

Woman’s Day understands that Schapelle has started packing her personal belongings in the hope that her parole papers will be signed today.

The justice minister has called a press conference in Bali at 5:30pm Sydney time to announce whether he has signed off on Schapelle Corby’s release papers.

The 36-year-old convicted Australian drug smuggler has her parole papers among 1700 others submitted to the justice minister.

His signature is the last thing that is needed before Schapelle can be released.

However, there are other processes that need to take place before she can walk free from Kerobokan Prison.

First, the papers need to be signed off by the Prison Governor, Prosecutor’s Office and Board of Corrections.

Schapelle was sentenced to 20 years in the Bali prison in 2005 after being found with 4.2kg of marijuana in her body board bag.

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February 7, 2014

What’s next: Schapelle Corby’s steps to freedom

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Today saw the highly anticipated announcement of convicted Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby’s parole granted.

Her family and supporters were overjoyed with the decision of the Indonesian justice minister to grant parole; however, they can’t begin celebrating her return to Australia just yet, as it is understood Schapelle will first need to see out the terms of her parole.

Under the conditions of her parole, Schapelle will be required to remain in Bali where she will be sequestered at the home of her sister Mercedes and brother-in-law Wayan Widyartha. Their house, located in central Kuta, was inspected by parole officials in advance to assess its suitability.

The terms of her parole last until the expiration of her sentence in 2016. In addition to that, she is also required to serve an extra 18 months under parole supervision until mid-2017.

During that period she is required to remain in Indonesia and will not be allowed to return home to Australia.

Although Corby is not allowed to travel outside the country, she will be allowed to travel around Indonesia. She must inform her parole officers of any plans to travel, though, and get their permission first if she attempts to leave her base at her sister’s Kuta home.

Schapelle was initially sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2005 after being found guilty of smuggling 4.2kg of Marijuana into Bali in her boogie board bag. The sentence was then reduced to 15 years on appeal and then increased back to 20 years on further appeal.

In 2012, she placed a clemency appeal to Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono which she won, seeing five years cut from her total sentence.

She has now served a total of nine years in jail since her initial arrest in 2004. In that time she has also won more than 30 remissions and had her sentence further cut.

She has been eligible for parole since serving two thirds of her prison sentence 18 months ago. Her sister Mercedes told reporters earlier that today’s release was 18 months in the making, as the family and their lawyer navigated the complicated red tape required to necessitate her parole.

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February 7, 2014

Schapelle Corby telemovie brought forward

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Channel Nine has released the premiere date for its much hyped telemovie about convicted Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby.

Schapelle was going to air at 8.30pm on Monday, February 10.

But amidst the media frenzy surrounding her parole hearing, the telemovie will now be shown this Sunday at 8.40pm on Nine.

Schapelle was sentenced to 20 years in Kerobokan jail in 2005 after being found with 4.2kg of marijuana in her boogie board bag.

But good behaviour remissions and a presidential clemency reduction of five years – granted in 2012 – has significantly shortened her sentence.

After nine years behind bars, the former Gold Coast beautician is due to be released on parole within the coming days or weeks, where she will then remain in Bali with her sister Mercedes.

Schapelle will be free to leave the overcrowded prison, but won’t be able to return to Australia until at least mid-2015.

Schapelle is expected to draw a huge audience following a Channel Nine teaser campaign and the young Australian’s story touching and intriguing the nation since 2004.

The television event is based on her arrest, trail, conviction and steadfast declaration of innocence.

Adding to the dramatic story that still divides public opinion is her family, the media, police, Foreign Ministers and lawyers all whipped into one of the biggest media frenzies in Australia’s history.

Schapelle premieres next Monday, February 10, at 8.30pm on Channel Nine.

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February 7, 2014

Pregnant Megan Gale stepping out of spotlight

Megan Gale is planning to step out of the spotlight for six months to bond with her new baby.

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The 38-year-old model is expecting her first child in May and has revealed she has cleared her diary to spend as much time as possible with the new arrival.

“I really just want to bond with the baby,” she told Lisa Wilkinson on TODAY this morning. “It’s my first, so I’ve got a lot to learn.”

Megan gushed about how “excited” her partner, 25-year-old AFL player Shaun Hampson, was about the impending birth, and fought back tears as she described how much she had enjoyed pregnancy so far.

“It’s lived up to everything I’d hoped it would be,” she said. “The first time it moves and you feel it, it’s so emotional … I love it.”

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February 7, 2014

Mercedes Corby visits Schapelle ahead of parole decision

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Mercedes Corby, sister of convicted Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, has arrived at Kerobokan Prison ahead of her sister’s expected release.

Pulling up on a motorbike driven by her husband Wayan, Mercedes pushed through the rowdy media pack, making her way into the prison. She refused to make any comment to waiting media, with her only interest seeing her sister.

Mercedes Corby has left around an hour later pushing her way through waiting media.

She told reporters that the Corby family continue to wait for news of Schapelle’s release.

“Can you please give us some privacy. We don’t know yet,” she said.

Mercedes’ husband Wayan spoke in Balinese telling reporters: “We don’t know when she will be released. We keep on praying and, like all of you, hoping for the best”.

The couple were at the prison to have a meeting with the Australian consulate staff and the jail governor to discuss the details of Schapelle’s release.

If the Schapelle’s parole papers are signed by the Justice Minister the jail governor will need to sign off on her parole conditions.

Indonesian Minister of Justice Amir Syamsuddin is set to decide Schapelle’s fate this afternoon.

It is expected that he will announce Schapelle’s parole, with fellow prisoners at the Kerobokan jail telling reporters that she is currently waiting alone in the prison’s ‘release room’.

The announcement is expected to come at a press conference held by Indonesian authorities scheduled for this afternoon at 5.30pm AEDT.

If Schapelle’s parole is not announced today, she will have to wait at least another two days as the justice system closes down over the weekend.

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February 7, 2014

Schapelle Corby’s decade in prison

As Schapelle Corby prepares for release after almost 10 years in prison, we look back at the rollercoaster ride that began back in October 2004.

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As Schapelle Corby prepares for release after almost 10 years in prison, we look back at the rollercoaster ride that began back in October 2004.

Since a 27-year-old Corby was found with 4.1 kilograms of marijuana in her bodyboard bag at Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar, she has been at the centre of a rolling saga that has absorbed the country.

Convicted and sentenced in 2005 to 20 years in prison, she pursued all legal avenues available to her and made a bid for clemency in 2010.

During this time she has struggled with depression and life inside Bali’s Kerobokan prison, where she shared a cell with six other women, and has always maintained her innocence.

Escorted by prosecutors into a court room before her trial on 27 January 2005. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Schapelle in her detention house at Denpasar-Bali prison in February 2005. Photos: AFP/Getty Images

Being escorted by police following her trial. Photo: Getty Images

Schapelle reacts as she hears that she is sentenced to 20 years in jail. Photo: Getty Images

Schapelle’s mother and sister shout as her sentence is read out. Photo: Getty Images

Schapelle’s supporters at Tugun Surf Club on the Gold Coast react to the news. Photo: Getty Images

Schapelle speaks with her lawyers before her trial which was reopened in July 2005. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

In 2006 Schapelle filed a final appeal to have her conviction and sentence overturned. Getty Images

In a prison van at court for her final appeal. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Indonesia’s Supreme Court rejected Corby’s final appeal in 2008, exhausting her legal options for release. She was hospitalised a few months later for depression. Photo AFP/Getty Images

Schapelle talks to her mother in Australia through a new phone system from inside Kerobokan prison, 2008. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

The Chief of Kerobokan Prison Ilham Jaya speaks with Schapelle during a press visit. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Schapelle is greeted by a prison official during a ceremony. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

With Renee Lawrence of the Bali Nine. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Escorted by two policemen as she leaves a beauty salon in Denpasar. Photo: escorted by two policemen as she leaves a beauty salon in Denpasar on Bali island on July 2, 2008.

Schapelle covers her face with a newspaper as policemen escort her back to jail from a hospital in Denpasar. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

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