No new video evidence in Corby drug appeal

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 09/07/2006 7:38 AM

Luh Putu Trisna Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Australian Schapelle Leigh Corby, 29, may have to give up her dream of getting her remaining jail time reduced or nullified after her lawyers failed Wednesday to produce a piece of new evidence they had hoped to submit.

Corby, serving a 20-year prison sentence in Bali for drug trafficking, is having her case reviewed at the Denpasar District Court. She was trying to submit mitigating evidence from closed-circuit television (CCTV) tapes filmed at airports in Brisbane and Sydney on Oct. 8, 2004, when she left for Bali.

But Corby's lawyers were unable to produce the tapes Wednesday because the Australian government refused to hand them over.

""We sent a letter to the Australian justice minister, Chris Ellison, to request the tape. On Aug. 28, we received a reply saying the Australian government could not give us the tape. It also said there was no picture of Corby in the tape and the CCTV cameras were operating well at that time,"" Corby's lawyer, Erwin Siregar, told presiding judge Nyoman Gde Wirya.

Instead, the lawyers submitted a letter from Ellison showing the results of an investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

""The letter states that the AFP investigation found Corby is not involved in drug trafficking and thus, it's mitigating evidence,"" said Erwin.

The letter was sent by Ellison to the lawyers on June 12 last year. Erwin insisted that the letter, even though it is not new, constitutes new evidence and should acquit Corby of all charges.

""I believe the statement in the letter will be given great consideration by the judges because it has never been shown in court. The letter means Corby should be released,"" he said.

Prosecutor Suhadi said the investigation by the AFP and Ellison's letter could not be considered new evidence.

""Besides the fact that the letter is outdated and the tape cannot be produced, whatever is stated in the letter still has to be verified by facts and further evidence. Without that, even a hundred million letters would not set Corby free,"" said Suhadi.

The prosecutors, he said, would stick to the evidence submitted during previous trials, in which Corby was convicted of possessing 4.6 kilograms of marijuana.

The drug was found in her bag during a search at Denpasar's Ngurah Rai Airport on Oct. 8, 2004.

Corby's trial sparked public debates and rallies in Jakarta and Canberra, particularly after Indonesian politicians accused Canberra of interfering in Indonesia's judiciary system by requesting that Corby be declared innocent and freed.

The case review trial was adjourned until next Wednesday, when prosecutors will give their response.

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