Corby's 20 year sentence reinstated

January 19, 2006

Schappelle Corby has been told by an Indonesian court that her 20 year sentence for allegedly smuggling drugs into Indonesia would be reinstated following an appeal attempt. Her lawyers had previously been successful in reducing her sentence to 15 years.

Indonesian police allege that Corby smuggled 4.1Kg of marajuana hidden in a body board bag into Bali. Corby has maintained that the drugs did not belong to her and must have been placed in her bag between Brisbane, Sydney and Bali.

Australian baggage handlers had been caught using passenger's luggage to distribute illegal drugs.

Judges rejected her appeal last week, reinstating her original sentence at the same time.

The Indonesian supreme court has ordered that the drugs be destroyed, signalling that it is the end of any possible future appeal attempts.

Another twist has emerged in the Corby story with her 18 year old half brother arrested yesterday on charges of producing and possessing a dangerous drug, deprivation of liberty and assault occasioning bodily harm.

Corby's lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea said that the development had "totally ruined his case". Speaking before discovering Corby's original sentence had been reinstated said he feared the development involving Corby's half brother, James Kisina, would ruin his attempts to free Schapelle.

Corby's Balinese lawyer, Erwin Siregar, disagrees with Mr Paris claiming the arrest could provide evidence to reopen her case if there is any proof or statements that the marijuana she was caught with belonged to her half-brother.

In court today, Kisina claimed that he was seeking to obtain information from known drug dealers in Brisbane which could assist in Corby's appeal.