Chapelle Corby

[Patto09]

Will a guilty verdict and life sentence for Chapelle alter your plans to trvel to Indo?
I know that this is just another reason for me not to go to Bali and really is the last nail in the coffin.

1. Terrorism
2. Bali Belly
3. The increasing crowds including aggresive locals
4. The draconian/corrupt legal system.

[macca202]

Chapelle Corby won't be convicted

[Meataxe]

Already booked a trip in Oct - will go either way, though believe she is innocent.

She's going to be convicted.

[Spoon]

Sadly for Schapelle the hooch was in her bag when she went through customs. Whether someone else put it there or not will more than likely not influence Balinese officials. How many other drug smugglers must have gone the "I don't know how that got in my bag, somebody must have planted it" in the past. Currently there are around 110 Australians in various Asian prisons for drugs who probably all cried innocent so for Schapelle who is more than likely innocent it will be hard work to prove it.

[oldman]

At least if you are caught in Australia they are likely to fingerprint the bag, and run a reasonably professional inquiry. The bag would have had finger prints all over it, probably of known criminals, and assuming none of them were Schapelle's, (which I believe to be the case) it would probably lead to her acquittal if it was in Australia.

But this is Indo, and she will be convicted, the only doubt is in the sentence, and whether some years down the track, the Australian government will be allowed to repatriate her.

Whether you are ever going to go to Indo again or not, I urge everyone to write to the Indonesian consulate and tell them you won't ever be travelling to Indo again due to their clumsy and unprofessional handling of her case.

I would also write to Qantas and tell them you will never fly with them again due to their slackness, the lack of baggage security and the lack of foresight in not holding onto information that was crucial to the case (baggage weights particularly)

It doesn't matter whether you actually stop going to Indo or stop flying Qantas. If enough people register a written protest they will sh#t themselves, and you will have made your point.

I will never go back there. If you do go overseas anywhere, take smntntl's advice and lock up your bags before departing.

[Shari]

definitely changed my idea of a holiday. I've been to 27 countries but don't know if Indo will be one of the future ones.

It's the chance you always take as a traveller - that the laws and legal processes in your destination countries may not be as fair as the ones here.

Re Qantas - they're just a big let down on the whole aren't they? I spent over 3 hours on hold to make a frequent flyer booking with the points I've earned over the past 5 years and never got through.

They also damaged my Mom's suitcase last time she came over here from Canada. It was all roughed up like someone had dragged it through gravel.

Poor Schappelle. That judge isn't interested in her life or if she has the right to one. If she is convicted, I think serious action is called for by the Australian government and public to make sure that this girl comes home. What the goverment does and says about this will sway my vote come election time.

[Larry]

The ferry from Tangier to Algecerias used unload its passengers into an open shed directly opposite the cafes - and we would watch the customs and police rifle through the sacks and bags of every stoned out hippy who had wandered back from a month in the city of dreams ..

We would watch them cop a bit of a smacking and then see them frog marched into the vans and taken away to prison .. 5 to 10 years

Everyone knew each other in those days (1964) and it was the only way to keep in touch when a mate took a trip across the straits.

Nothing has changed

laz

[chrisb]

In Australia she wouldn't be convicted as they would have gone through due process eg. taken fingerprints, had video evidence, obtained baggage weight records etc.

Sadly, Indo law is different and she will be convicted as the bag was hers.

Me, I will still go to Bali but only carry cabin luggage and hire a board over there - no point in punishing the innocent Balinese battlers for the faults of their parent country's legal system.

I have one question about Corby that I would like answered - a body board and flippers in a bag weighs 4.5 kilos (I've tried it). The marijuana weighs 4 kilograms. How the hell could anyone not notice that their bag was almost twice the weight when they picked it up?

As far as I am aware no-one (other than Hinch) has really tried to press this really important point.

[Shari]

chris b, who wouldn't notice? lots of people. she could have just picked up the bag, thougt hmm don't remember this being so heavy, not really put two and two together (who would?) and tossed it onto the luggage cart. she may have only had the bag in her hand long enough to pick it up and put it on a cart in amongst a lot of other baggage and boards.

you have lots on your mind in a bustling airport for this to pass unnoticed.

I'd like to think that I would have been clever enough to notice something like that but I'm not willing to bet on it.

I would now though.

[mudguts]

you also have to remember that there are always two sides to a story. and the australian media would obviously be biased towards here being innocent, and may only portray the facts they think will make a good story. its hard to know what to believe and what not to sometimes.

[chrisb]

Purple Balloons, I'm not convinced - surely something that doubles in weight in about 8 hours would be noticed. And remember that Corby's no Amazon. Has she been asked why she didn't notice ?

It may be a case of me being wise in hindsight. She may just have been excited about going on a holiday and didn't think.

I do feel sorry for her. In Australia she wouldn't be convicted given the same quality evidence. In Indonesia she unfortunately will be convicted.

[oldman]

chrisb

According to agreed testimony, her brother picked up the bodyboard bag. The customs idiots were going to question the brother but Schapelle told them it was her bag.

Mudguts, its true that the media would take a particular angle, but you can always get closer to the truth by reading lots of different media and working it out yourself. In any case, the media don't beat up stories that require no beating up. I don't think they have had to do anything other than straight reporting on this one. The human interest and human tragedy aspects play out without them beating it up.

[Damien]

I havent seen so such media hysteria since the Azaria Chamberlain case many years ago. The aussie media has always been down on the Indo's. All the bullsh*t about a draconian system based on presumption of guilt and you have to prove your innocence. The indo system is based on the Dutch system which stems from Napoleanic law used in many euro countries. Yeah there is alot of corruption at the lower level crimes but this has been publisiced too much for anything dodgy to happen.

I will be going back to Indo regularly. If this was an Indo caught in Aus with 4kg of mull, cries of baggage handlers and i didnt do it would fall on deaf ears. And what about all the other aussies in jail overseas, nobody gives a toss about them. The media certainly has wipped up a frenzy about this.

I do feel sorry for what she will endure but i think the whole baggage handler thing is garbage. I think she was arrogant enought to think she will get away with it and is a damn good actor. I would believe crew like Mike Keelty more than some buthead from channel nine who are just trying to get on a ratings winner.

Why has this never happened before, if it is such a conspiracy.

[Larry]

Sorry Damien old mate - baggage handlers have had full access to all unlocked baggage whether it be domestic or international - and by the newspaper accounts Qantas employs a couple of hundred of them - and all of them with minimal employment security checks .. and no gate security at either end of the working day .. and very little covert camera security of them on the job -

A bloke with healthy criminal intentions and an eye to some good money would be onto that in five minutes - sounds a lot easier than robbing banks don't you think ?

[murrum]

ok - say thats the case, baggage handlers stashed it, how to go about getting the pot from Corby's bage once she is there, without her noticing?

Or - the other one is it was a mistake by the dodgy handler, trying to send it on a domestic flight. Why bother using domestic planes to ship drugs? The risk is relatively high, maybe not of getting caught, but of losing the drugs. If it is domestic just courier if over land - waaaaaay less risky, unlikley to be caught, and youd struggle to loose them!

Im with you damien, the handler story doesnt add up.

[Patto09]

All good points, but I guess the issue is, even though there is overwhelming evidence that foul play is possible and probable, this has been ignored.
There are obviously some evident deficiencies in the Indonesian legal system.
True, you face risks in all countries with different legal systems but when the outcome is a matter of life or death, I’d rather go to Byron form my holidays.
I believe if enough people display anger over this case and also signal intentions of curtailing travel, the Indonesian Government must take steps to improve ”justice”. Although this may hurt those in the travel industry, they also vote.
I will err on the conservative side and seek my waves elsewhere.

[mudguts]

4 kg of weed is an absolute shit load. who would need that much for a personal stash?and why would you smuggle it into bali when it is reportedly quite alot cheaper over there?

i used to be a bit of a pot head, and i never really cruised round with 4 kg of weed, let alone flew with it.

if she did it to for profit then she is probably the world's dumbest smuggler, there is so much out there that is smaller, doesnt stink as much and will have a higher profit margin for less risk of detection.

the media love her cos she is young and semi-attractive. what if she was ugly and fat? would there be so much hype? or what if she was a he?

whatever way you look at it there does seem to be many areas that are suspect with the whole proceedings.

[Larry]

OK murrum - here's a scenario -

Major drug rings in australia are pretty well known to the law enforcement bodies .. they've been infiltrated and sprung all ways but one many times over the past 20 years - but of course they are still in business aren't they - we keep smoking the product

Drug transportation by road is bad option because (1) it takes too bloody long and (2) the cops can pull you up for a hundred reasons - and none of them relating to the load if you know what I mean. and (3) the dope is in 'illegal possession ' in road transport -

3 risks V None

but what do I know eh

laz