Schapelle Corby

Hotman Paris Hutapea, King Rat and traitor to Schapelle's cause

2012-01-02T21:18:00.000+10:00

Below are extracts of opinions from the Members only section of the Free Schapelle Forum. You can read this and other opinions by joining. Each member is responsible for the content of whatever they post.

Join the discussions and read the full story. http://freeschapelle.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7561&start=40

Hotman Paris Hutapea, King Rat and traitor to Schapelle's cause.

The biggest traitors in this story were Hotman Paris Hutapea and Schapelle's defence team and the only one of them with any vestige of morality was Lilly Lubis who at least showed remorse for the hatchet job they had to do on Schapelle

Request for testing the marijuana
Lilly had handed Schapelle the form to apply to have the drugs tested by the AFP. The Australian Government needed either the defence or the prosecution to request Australian aid before they could test evidence from an Indonesian legal case. Otherwise, without such a request any movement in that direction would be regarded as gross interference. Once Schapelle had signed the form the AFP requested that the Bali Police who were supposedly no more than storemen with the duty to store and protect the evidence ship a sample to the AFP as soon as was possible.

Shocked the AFP
The response relayed by the Australian Consul in Indonesia that the Australian Government could not have a sample of the drugs shocked not only the AFP but the entire Australian Government. To begin with, Schapelle had said she wanted the evidence against her tested and she had nominated the AFP as her agent to do so and had the AFP been a private company she would have that legal right under the provision of the UN Charter on Human Rights that guarantees that the defendant (or his or her agent or advocate) has the right to examine the incriminating evidence.

Shocked the Australian Government
It shocked the Australian Government because the police of an alleged democracy have no rights over the evidence. The court has the right to dismiss any evidence brought before it but no police force can answer on behalf of the prosecution or the defence.

Howard had 'grave concerns' over Schapelle's Trial
When Howard announced that he and his government had "grave concerns over Schapelle's trial" Hotman diffused the situation by immediately announcing to the media: "Since there is no dispute over the origin of the drugs we feel there is no need to have them forensically tested."

King Rat killed off support and hope.
This act by Hotman Paris Hutapea ended any legal right the Australian Government had to render assistance and I have read it was the Australian government that refused to test the drugs. I first saw this claim on the EP and whoever started this lie is either a rat plant in Corby support or they are as dumb as cement because they are prepared to rewrite history to assert that it was Australia who convicted Schapelle and Indonesia was just a victim. And, before you go defending the fatman, you need to appreciate what he did. He spent far more time separating the Corbys from Corby supporters than he ever spent defending Schapelle and the reasons for this was that he didn't want anyone with legal savvy looking over his shoulder.

The Fatman attacks QANTAS
He attacked Qantas for not supplying the booking data but when they retrieved the lost data from the wiped hard drive he ignored the emails from Qantas and never arranged to have it sent to him.

The Fatman attacks Ellison
He attacked Chris Ellison for not finding witnesses and demanded that the Australian Government set up CCTV broadcasting centres in each capital city even though the court had already ruled that such televised evidence would not be admissible - Ford had to be flown to Bali. In addition, it was impossible for the Australian government to find witnesses or make arrests since Hotman had vetoed all attempts by the Australian Government to get a sample of the evidence by which they could tie any Australian criminality to the crime.

The Fatman attacks CUSTOMS
He abused the only witness who claimed that the Customs department never saw the marijuana until it was discovered by Winata at the check in counter. This happened while Hotman was trying to explain away the cut on the inner bag as a part of routine customs investigation. He never helped this man to make his valid point that someone other than Schapelle had contact with the drugs or the fact that since all luggage is routinely X-rayed as it enters Bali the only way Customs could have missed 4Kg of marijuana is if the Body board bag never went through customs but was carried from the tarmac straight to the luggage pick up area and placed by the carousel before any of the passengers were cleared.

The Fatman fails to gather evidence
He never petitioned for the Bali CCTV footage to be located.

The Fatman fails Schapelle
He never mentioned that no commercial quantities of foreign marijuana had ever been seized entering the country before making a police investigation of this case of the highest priority. He never mentioned that Schapelle had no motive to import so much marijuana when there was no market and no way for her to distribute it in the time.

The Fatman fails Schapelle again!
He never mentioned the fact that the Bali Police had destroyed, ignored or vetoed all measurement and analysis of the crime scene evidence - the state's evidence. He never demanded that the Australian government investigate the Corbys and present a detailed report on them to the court. He never highlighted the fact that if Schapelle was guilty then her travelling companions were accomplices and her sister the receiver of these drugs and questioned why the Bali Police had ignored them.

The Fatman attacks all Australians and says we are all criminals
When Ros attacked him saying "He won't be happy until Schapelle has no supporters at all" he responded by enlisting the aid of an Indonesian actress and they both went on Indonesian television to tell all of Indonesia that it was hard to say that Schapelle was the guilty person because all Australians are criminals.

The Fatman hands Schapelle to the prosecution on a plate
However the worst thing he did was to give Schapelle's conviction to the prosecution. We have heard that the prosecution had a prima facie case. What this means is that "on the face of it" Schapelle was guilty. She imported the drugs and was caught with them in her possession. The only possible defence was to dispute that the drugs were imported thereby forcing the prosecution to send a sample to the Indonesian State Laboratory for testing and allowing the AFP a sample to the AFP as their nominated agent. All he had to say was "the origin is in dispute."

This need not point to the Bali Police. Hotman could have said "we have not ruled out an Indonesian hate crime your honour." Australia was still reeling from the Bali bombing and it was quite possible that since the Indonesian Government had collaborated with foreign governments to hunt the perpetrators down, Jamaah Islamiah wished to end Downers demands that Abu Bakr Bashir be arrested as the mastermind behind the bombing by forcing the Indonesian Government to kill yet another Australian for them using the court as a weapon.

The point is that once the prosecution had proven that the drugs were imported and that Schapelle imported them knowingly, the case was over. The rest was window dressing. Even if guilty Australian baggage handlers had come forward and confessed their crime the prosecutor had proven that Schapelle imported the drugs and that she did so knowingly and so any additional guilty defendants would only be added as co-defendants and would not vindicate Schapelle.

However, by abusing Australia, Hotman had the blame for his failure ready to be placed at Australia's feet. He did not dispute importation and he allowed the prosecution's chief witness to establish that Schapelle was aware of the drugs without even cross-examining him to trip him up or to question the credibility of a man who required an interpreter to speak to the Australian media.

If you want to fix a trial where an innocent person is found guilty there is no point in corrupting the prosecution who only needs to do his job. There is no point in corrupting the judges who are confined to ruling on the evidence presented. To create such an unfair trial you only need to buy or influence the defence lawyers to not protest the injustices, to allow the prosecution to assert without proof whatever suited them and to not challenge the prosecution's case. That is how you create an unfair trial and we all agree Schapelle received an unfair trial.

"There are no Lawyers in Indonesia; only negotiators".
Indonesian lawyers generally know the score. As Erwin Siregar was quoted prior to Schapelle's arrest, "There are no Lawyers in Indonesia; only negotiators". And, he was right. It's not the lawyers fault; it's the system and it was summed up by an Indonesian guy outside of the Bali Courthouse: "When the police say you're guilty, you're guilty." Against that, Indonesian lawyers can't argue guilt or innocence because asserting a client is innocent would amount to calling the police liars since they always arrive at the courthouse with confessions, or verbal evidence of guilt. Calling the police liars is defamation which they can then charge you with and that comes with a 10 year prison sentence. So, Indonesian lawyers negotiate the lightest sentence for the victim.

However, Schapelle's case was unique. Normally, the Indonesian National Police are arresting someone for some kind of financial gain and so a bribe can get you free. However, Schapelle’s case had nothing to do with greed and little to do with the Bali Police either. The open support from the Indonesian Attorney General right up to SBY to murder an Australian citizen in such a way that Howard and his interfering cabinet could do nothing about it made the Bali Police no more than the thugs of this Indonesian Government attack.

Erwin, Vasu and Lilly may have been a part of this system but at least they tried. Lilly got the AFP permission form for Schapelle to sign and brought in an Indonesian ex-con who identified the marijuana as police grown Bali chaff – the rubbish they used to entrap tourists. Vasu stole a sample and brought it to Australia in an attempt to get it tested. Unfortunately, he broke the chain of evidence so that the marijuana he had could have come from anywhere and the Australian Government already knew where the marijuana in Schapelle’s luggage came from which is why they did what they did. And, Erwin, bless his heart, really tried. He applied to the court to have the inner bag fingerprinted only to watch the judge destroy the evidence in front of his eyes as if to say, “Remember where you live.”

Lilly found she was up against the brick wall
This was all a bit much for Lilly. She had grown quite attached to Schapelle and to have a front row seat for her murder was a bit much for her and the angrier Schapelle got because Lilly wasn’t doing anything the more tragic the situation became.
However, Hotman was a totally different story. He was “sent in” by the Indonesian Government as a “Mister Fix-it” because they could see that the original team were wavering and actually trying to defend Schapelle. In the “Chief of Customs testimony” that I have recounted several times in these forums Hotman demonstrated that he was one of the bad guys trying to get Schapelle convicted. To summarise, the testimony of Ngurah Rai Airport’s Chief of Customs stated that no one in his department saw the marijuana or was aware of it until it was discovered when Winata opened Schapelle’s bag in front of her. This meant that the Police testimony that they saw the marijuana on the X-ray machine was a lie. The relevance was that all incoming luggage is X-rayed in the Customs area by customs officers. Four Kg of marijuana would be difficult to miss and the reason why Schapelle saw the Body board bag on the ground away from the carousel was because it was never on the carousel. It was brought straight from the tarmac to the luggage pick-up area while the passengers were getting cleared. It never went anywhere near customs.

Customs office Winata had different stories
As a matter of interest, Winata gave a revised story to the SMH about how he saw the marijuana in the customs area, followed it and then watched to see who would pick it up before moving to the counter that was clearing the queue that Schapelle was in. There is a problem with his story. He didn’t see who picked up the body board bag because at that moment he was completely unaware of any drugs. When Schapelle was in shock and said to him, “I have some...” with the intention of saying “I have some marijuana here I wish to report” or something of that nature that would somehow make her a concerned citizen reporting a crime, Winata thought he had hit pay-dirt and I imagine he was most shocked when the police grabbed James and took him away for at least 30 minutes. You see, the police had been watching the bag to see who picked it up and James picked it up. That is because the police already knew about the drugs but the customs department did not. Winata’s revised story to the SMH was actually about how he was a part of the action by taking the police’s story and making it his own.

Hotman had uncovered the truth and a means to get Schapelle freed. He abused the customs officer and closed down that line of questioning. Unlike the other lawyers, Hotman was King Rat.

The above are from extracts of opinions from the Members only section of the Free Schapelle Forum and you can read this and other opinions or have your say by joining.

Where's the Australian anger?

2011-10-22T06:42:00.001+10:00

What is missing is Australian outrage. While Tim Lindsay and others may promote and even believe that an Australian public reaction along with 'interference' from the Australian Government will anger the Indonesian Attorney General, the prosecutor, and the police, which will result in a harsher penalty being exacted a key element is being ignored.

In Schapelle's case, the local authorities certainly had doubts that the 4Kg of marijuana was destined to be sold on the streets of Bali and the assertion that Westerners were charging tourists a higher price for Australian marijuana than they themselves were charging for the local product was dismissed immediately. They already knew that no one had ever imported marijuana into Indonesia and that it was Indonesian policy not to prosecute anyone on Bali for marijuana offences due to the fact that Bali is a Hindu region. So, even if their miraculous and profound ability to choose which state's evidence to avoid from the moment Schapelle's flight arrived and the lie that they saw the marijuana on the x-ray machine substantiated by the Chief of Customs at Ngurah Rai Airport were not indications that they planted the drugs in order to end the joint Australian/Indonesian task force on transnational crime and other 'interferences' that Howard had arranged (and it did end them) at the very least we know that the Indonesian Authorities knew that Schapelle was innocent when they prosecuted her.

So, how intent is Indonesia in punishing Australia? We know from the fact that Michelle Leslie was pretending to be a devout Muslim and enduring a burqa in the severe heat of Kerobokan being sure to pray five times per day as is expected of a devout Islamic woman and expressing remorse for her actions. Therefore, we have no choice but to accept that whether her Islamic devotion was a pretense or not it was impossible for her urine to turn positive to ecstasy given that it remains in the urine for no more than 48 hours after consumption. Therefore, her story that the prosecutor who also prosecuted Schapelle along with other officers of the court crushed up an ecstasy tablet and poured it into her urine is proven beyond doubt and the legitimacy of her arrest where the Bali Police had a camera crew in the back of their car to film this arrest is called into question.

We know for a fact that Andrew Grant was shot several times at close range in the chest and neck with automatic weapon's fire something beyond the means of the West Papuan separatist movement who make do with a handful of single load World War Two rifles. And, since the local Indonesian State Police blamed the Indonesian Military for the murder and explained it as an attempt by the military to show up the State Police as a poor choice for the Freeport Mines security contract this case at least has been solved. Unfortunately, Andrew, who left a wife and a new born child in Melbourne had no justice and instead of his body being flown to Darwin with an Indonesian Government apology and a promise to prosecute the offenders and make them pay reparations to his wife and child, it was sent to Jakarta so that the bullets could be removed - I guess the Indonesian Government wanted their property back and didn't want to leave any evidence of THEIR crime. But, no one mourns for Andrew Grant.

And where was the apology for Roger East and the Balibo 5? Roger East wasn't caught in the cross-fire while tied up with barbed wire after being dragged to the pier at Dilli. Was it the fog of war? Well the Balibo 5 couldn't have possibly died in the fog of war since they died weeks before the invasion. And yet this claim of being caught in the crossfire persists simply because the Indonesian troops were there illegally perpetrating another lie that the chaos and bloodshed was being done by Fretlin in order to justify an Indonesian invasion. How can we accept that the deaths were accidental because the troops who committed the crime were there to fabricate a lie? How can our government accept the refusals for the last 35 years to return their bodies? How can we swallow the fact that those who deliberately murdered our journalists were promoted and gained government seats for their actions.

The Bali bombers did not act alone. I have seen with my own eyes the phone records for the house where the Bali bombers were staying and the number belonging to the Military commander of the TNI in Bali featured heavily on this document. This General had called the bomber's house at least twice a day for weeks with the last call taken at the house only moments before the bombers left to murder and maim 100 Australians. This was an attack by the Indonesian Government on Australia and I regard the memorial to those who died there erected in Bali to be a mockery.

And now a 14 year-old boy who's only real crime was that he was a hormonally active 14 year-old boy gets enticed to buy marijuana by a drug trafficker who operates in Bali with impunity as an assault on visiting tourists and then the boy doesn't smoke or swallow it but instead does what 75% of hormonally active 14 year-old boys would do - he shows it to a woman to prove how grown up he is. Yes, he should be punished - a month without phone, X-box and grounded would be suitable and even a day in the police station to really scare the bejesus out of him... But a criminal prosecution?

So what is this key element that is being ignored. Indonesia really doesn't want Australians to get angry. They think we are weak and they are banking on it and they have agents in the Australian Government and in the Australian media who insure that we stay that way and accept Indonesia's terms and I call for legislation that makes it a treasonous offence for any Australian citizen to accept payment in money, goods or services from a foreign power to put that nation's interests before those of Australia. That would make a good start. Prosecute Pofessor Lindsay, Butt and several pro-Indonesian journalists for treason and then demand the return of the boy and Schapelle. Show Indonesia that we mean business this time. In this I agree with the EP and my opponents. We must make a show of disallowing the corruption that is involved in covering up Indonesia's unfair practices and corruption.

It's time Australian pragmatism was aired. Schapelle Corby was innocent and the Indonesian authorities were aware of this when they convicted her. She should be released immediately with significant financial reparations paid. The Bali 9 should be released on the grounds that the Bali Police deliberately murdered the man who took payment for the heroin to stop the money trail leading back to them. Michelle Leslie's record should be expunged on the grounds that the court and the police were guilty of deliberate corruption. Financial reparations should be made to the widow and child of Andrew Grant and the payment should be punitive. The 14 year-old boy should be flown back to Australia and all legal fees exacted from the boys family returned. It should be made very clear that should any other Australian be arrested in Bali there will be a full public enquiry held by the Australian Government to determine if the arrest was legitimate according to Indonesian law.

Indonesia should be warned that we no longer care how upset they get. Our efforts of appeasement and conciliation have been met with contempt and should Indonesia wish to escalate hostilities or harm Australians under their protection we will not stop until West Papua is a UN protectorate, Indonesia is regarded as a rogue nation that has mudered and stolen their way to success, all foreign aid paid to Indonesia will be done with insurmountable opposition from the populations of those nations that do so, all trade will stop with Indonesia at the behest of the human rights organisation that wield real power and the ruling elite of their corrupt little country will learn of the negatives of full disclosure and democracy.

All of the above are not my words but those ofone of our forum members.

Schapelle's nightmare just the tip of the iceberg!

2011-10-20T16:14:00.000+10:00

Read this story of corruption and how you have to play the game to survive.
http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/8358682/bali-police-targeting-foreigners

If Schapelle had the means to play their dirty game right at the start then none of us would be here today protesting her innocence. Most likely we would be helping some other poor bugger in trouble elsewhere.

Stay away from Bali and save a life. It could be yours.

Why risk your life in Bali?

2011-10-13T06:46:00.000+10:00

Nine years of death and despair

Why risk your life in Bali?

October 12, 2002: Terrorist attack on the Sari Club in Kuta kills 202 people including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians.

October 8, 2004: Schapelle Corby arrested at Denpasar airport with 4.2kg of cannabis in her unlocked boogie board bag.

April 17, 2005: Bali Nine arrested in Denpasar and charged with planning to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin from Indonesia to Australia.

August 21, 2005: Fashion model Michelle Leslie arrested after police find two ecstasy tablets in her handbag at an open-air party.

October 1, 2005: Three bombs explode at Jimbaran Beach killing 20 people. Another bomb detonates in Kuta.

February 10, 2008: Australian fashion designer Heidi Murphy murdered in her flat in Canggu.

November 9, 2008: Three of the Bali bombers executed by firing squad in western Java.

June 2, 2009: Four Westerners are among 25 people who die from drinking methanol-laced palm wine at a bar in Kuta.

June 9, 2009: Australians urged to have rabies vaccinations before heading to Bali because of a shortage of antidote for treatment of the disease.

June 30, 2010: Angus McCaskill from Melbourne arrested in a Bali supermarket after police seize six packets of cocaine weighing a total of 3.58g.

October 1, 2010: Sydney man Michael Sacatides arrested after police at Denpasar airport find 1.7kg of ice in his suitcase.

December 27, 2010: Australian Robert McJannett arrested at Denpasar airport allegedly carrying 1.7g of marijuana.

May 21, 2011: Ricky Shane Rawson of Melbourne arrested for possession of two ecstasy pills and 0.06g of methamphetamine.

September 20, 2011: Newcastle nurse Jamie Johnson suffers brain damage and kidney failure after drinking a cocktail laced with methanol in Lombok.

October 4, 2011: 14-year-old NSW boy arrested in Kuta for possession of 3.6g of marijuana.

October 7, 2011: West Coast Eagles star Dean Laidley and several of his relatives injured during fight at a Kuta nightclub.

October 11, 2011: On the eve of the ninth anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings, video emerges showing alleged bombmaker Umar Patek laughing with police.Murray

Why risk your life in Bali as there are many safer places to visit. Go somewhere else or visit North Qld.

Why would you go to Bali?

2011-10-12T17:42:00.000+10:00

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/229301/20111011/arak-methanol-jamie-johnston-bali.htm

Why would anyone want to go to Bali?

"The brain and kidney of a Newcastle nurse, Jamie Johnston, was damaged after she drank a native Bali cocktail laced with methanol during her holiday trip to the Indonesian island.

Jamie Johnston, 25, could no longer talk and move properly after drinking arak at the Happy Cafe restaurant in Lombok on Sept. 20, her mother said Tuesday, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. She and her mother were returning home from Bali when the victim suffered pain and became unconscious.

The brain and kidney of a Newcastle nurse, Jamie Johnston, was damaged after she drank a native Bali cocktail laced with methanol during her holiday trip to the Indonesian island.

Johnston was initially taken to a Bali hospital and then flown to Darwin for treatment lasting three weeks. She will again be transferred to the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle for further treatment, according to NSW Health Minister, Jillian Skinner.

Johnston was with her mother when the methanol poisoning occurred. Methanol is used as ingredient in paint and other chemicals.

Johnston's case is not the first for foreign tourists getting poisoned by the Indonesian cocktail drink laced with methanol. In 2009, the same cocktail contaminated with methanol killed 25 people in Bali, mostly foreign tourists."

With a 14 yo kid targeted and this nurse plus the reports by certain journalists of being accosted and harrassed to buy drugs, why would you want to go to this joint. The Australian should put it on the highly dangerous list.

No Transnational investigations by Police or AFP. Here's why...

2011-10-12T14:03:00.000+10:00

Why would anyone visit such a dangerous place as Bali?

"Can you imagine if Australians were caught bringing kilos of heroin into Heathrow London and Australia's police didn't immediately storm their homes in Australia as well as those belonging to their relatives, friends and associates? Can you imagine an Australian being arrested in the Sudan trying to import containers full of teddy bears named and labelled "Mohammad"? Our police would be at the home of this person before the media even got wind of it trying to determine if those responsible were complete idiots or criminals trying to stir up global religious dissent. Can you imagine what would happen if Australian businessmen were caught importing cases full of whiskey into Saudi Arabia and our police didn't even bother to investigate their families or to visit their homes?

When an Australian is arrested overseas they may be charged with something that is equally illegal here or nothing more than an oversight of customs regulations resulting in a confiscation of the goods and perhaps a small fine. However, while the country that is charging these Australians regards the crime as serious so will our law enforcement or face the accusation that offending this country is not of concern to us. The idea that our government would pick up the phone and say, "Oh yeah, we heard something about that a few days ago... what was his name again? So, you want us to investigate him for you? Not our problem, buddy" would never happen in a million years.

Since no one raced around to the Corby home in the early evening of the 8th of October 2004, a tactical response squad didn't bash down their door to prevent Schapelle's gang from cleaning up evidence of their criminal activity, no one went there to secure the passports of anyone who may later prove to be involved and the Corby home wasn't torn apart by forensics looking for evidence of the marijuana trade, at what point did the Australian Government realise that Indonesia would not be deeply offended by the apathy demonstrated by Australian law enforcement? We know that Michael Corby asked Tony Wilson when police of some kind would be visiting their home three weeks after Schapelle's arrest. We know that neither State nor Federal Police ever visited the Corby home in any capacity and we know from commentary from Indonesian officials much later on that they were not interested in any Australian investigation. But, there is a huge difference between not being interested and vetoing Australia's own need to establish whether Schapelle was guilty or not. The refusal of the Indonesia to supply a sample of the marijuana to Australian law enforcement amounted to a veto on Australian investigation on what they asserted was a case of importation - a transnational crime.

Are we being asked to believe that the Australian government conceals crime and protects drug traffickers? Because either the Australian Government was hiding evidence of Schapelle's drug trafficking or they knew by Saturday the 9th of October, before they could know anything about the Corby family whatsoever, that the Bali Police backed by the Indonesian government had deliberately planted the marijuana on a random tourist to force Howard to cease his interference in Indonesian domestic affairs. We know this because the Australian Government knew within hours of Schapelle's arrest that any investigation of the Corbys by Australian authorities would not be demanded, and that a complete failure to act would not make our Government appear uncaring and insensitive to offending Indonesia. It would not be used by Indonesia to make Australian law enforcement look incompetent nor the Australian Government apathetic towards the transnational proliferation of drugs.

The fact that our law enforcement did not storm the Corby home within hours of her arrest is proof that they knew then that such an investigation would not be wanted and I have just proven that the Bali Police planted the marijuana on a random tourist with the full support of the Indonesian Government. If you can dispute my logic, I would certainly like to hear it."

The above extract from a post today is by one of the forum members.

Philip Adams on the War on Drugs

2011-08-22T16:18:00.001+10:00

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/drugs-and-death/story-e6frg7fx-1226030912198

CORBY in her cell. Kids on death row. Drugs to Bali? Coals to Newcastle.

The toxic trade in narcotics, one of the world’s biggest industries, fills the prisons from Texas to Malaysia with addicts, mules, small-time dealers – and countless people have gone from death row to the gallows or its high-tech variants. Whilst societies waste their efforts on counter-productive and corrupting policies of prohibition, interdiction, imprisonment and capital punishment, the trade goes on. The “war on drugs”, like so many US wars, is well and truly lost. Like the prohibition of alcohol it was doomed from day one. It is one of the greatest failures in the history of social policy.

The history of mass-marketed addiction – like the British trade in opium in China – might make one sympathise with the attempts of Asian societies to limit the social damage of drugs. But the state murder of minor players doesn’t help. Or even slow the flow. At best there’s a hiccup in the supply lines and a brief boost to product prices. (We can rely on our allies in Afghanistan to plant more poppies). The well-publicised seizures of drugs by Customs officers here or in Bali, with their claims of million-dollar “street prices”, are street theatre.

The Federal Police involvement in the arrest of Australian kids at Denpasar airport was a disgrace. Here they’d face a few years in jail. In Bali, some of them face the firing squad. Though Indonesian jihadists oft walk out of courts or prisons beaming in triumph, our young fools will be killed? Enough politeness. Gillard and Co must raise the roof in protest. Or perhaps we could organise a boycott of Bali until sanity prevails.

We distanced ourselves from the death penalty decades ago, leaving it to the likes of Texan governor George W. Bush to run assembly lines of executions. Yet Australia remains in a coalition of the willing addicted to US-inspired law-and-order policies on drugs. We ignore the fact that booze and cigarettes are far, far more destructive to this country than heroin, pot or ecstasy. Users, cops, judges, medical authorities, academics and intelligent politicians know we’re involved in a vast farce... but next to nothing is done. “Harm minimisation” efforts are hampered by the usual moral-panic merchants, and the drug barons laugh all the way to their money-laundering banks.

Meanwhile those sad, silly kids in Bali await their fate. They’ll face the firing squad or, like Corby, immense jail terms.

Though English Breakfast tea and a few roll-your-own fags (no, not the naughty ones) are the limits of my drug intake, I take a hard line on hard drugs. Legalise the lot. Take cops, corruption, prisons and nooses out of the equation and treat addiction as a health problem rather than a crime. Spend the money we’d save on sorry attempts at interdiction and the penal system on public health programs.

Hear the thunder of disapproval from the moral panic merchants? The same rat-bags who oppose even needle-exchange rooms? Significantly the other group that hates the idea of the most modest changes to the drug laws are the drug lords. Think of the impact on their profits.

In the meantime write to your PM, your MP and the Indonesian embassy protesting the plight of the prisoners in Bali. They deserve a kick in the arse, but hardly death. Or life in prison. It would make slightly more sense to save the life sentences for the executives of the cigarette and binge-drinking industries.

Corby's clock is ticking.

2011-08-11T17:44:00.000+10:00

Schapelle Corby desire to have children is diminishing daily as her 'biological' clock ticks down. Judges who sentence young women to long jail terms where their release date is after the time they can conceive, are creating double punishment and extra untold mental anguish for the prisoner. Does this come into play when considering the sentence? While I understand long jail terms as punishment for murderers, why is it that in Indonesia you get a lesser term for murder than you do for possession of marijuana? Why does Indonesia class MJ in the same category as cocaine when there is no evidence world wide of anyone dying from smoking Mary Jane? Join supporters at http://www.schapelle.ning.com/ to discuss.

Dead Unlucky Schapelle. Setup by the Bali police.

2011-06-09T16:50:00.001+10:00

Dead unlucky! Schapelle Corby was dead unlucky to be the owner of an unlocked surf bag when she arrived at Denpassar. Indonesia was looking for an Australian, any Aussie but an unlocked surf bag was too big an invitation for them to pass up. In went the marijuana and down went Schapelle!

Why was Indonesia wanting to setup an Aussie? For a number of years, under John Howards stewardship, Australia was interfering in the internal affairs of Indonesia. He was George Bush's Deputy Sheriff in SE Asia. Indonesia was fed up so they decided to set an example and all interference stopped along with cooperation between the AFP and the Indo police on the day Schapelle was arrrested. Our government got the message big time with Howard espousing 'We cannot interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation'. Remember that?

That is why it is so important for Australians to understand that Schapelle was setup by the Bali police.... and why. Schapelle became the fall girl for our government's interference and Indonesia said tough luck. We'll give her a trial that everyone will remember. We won't allow forensic evidence, we won't allow cross examination of prosecution witmesses, we won't allow fingerprinting, we won't weigh her bags for comparison with check in weight. We'll even throw in a judge who has never aquitted a prisoner on drug charges.

There was no proof the drugs were ever in Australia.

No proof anywhere that Schapelle was ever involved in drugs.

No proof that money had passed through her bank account to buy such a quantity.

No proof that Aussie baggage handlers were involved in her case.

You be the judge and decide. Was her trial fair? Was the evidence tested in court? Should Schapelle be where she is today? Leave your comments below

A Taste of Freedom

2011-06-01T22:10:00.000+10:00

On the seventh anniversary of Schapelles arrest (Oct 8, 2004) I would like to propose that all of Schapelles supporters in Australia (or around the world for that matter) take to the street for one hour: midday to 1pm and bear silent witness to her innocence. Hold a bold placard to (a) raise public awareness of her innocence, and (b) put pressure on the Australian PM or aspiring PM to do something about her situation: JULIA GILLARD/TONY ABBOTT, WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT SCHAPELLE CORBY? I will be in Australia at that time and have will do all I can to fight for Schapelles release. Jules Riding, NZ

For the benefit of members here are links to Jules and what he does. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jules_Riding
http://www.songcollections.com/peace/riding.htm
http://www.elkanah.org.nz/

What Jules is suggesting makes good sense. It is something we members should investigate to make certain that we build this day to something that will make an impact.
There's just a few months to go until Schapelle has endured seven (7) years of hell. Do you have your Taste of Freedom plans sorted for Saturday October 8th? Please join us at http://www.schapelle.ning.com/ and make your suggestions.

It's easy to get involved - just choose the option that suits you best:
Book a place at a participating restaurant or a public event: ( We can make enquiries at local restaurants. Tell them about the plan and seek their cooperation)

OR

Raise a glass to Schapelle's freedom over dinner at home: Host your own dinner and invite friends over. It's fantastic to see supporters around Australia taking up The Taste of Freedom and making it your own. Whether it's Nev's gang tucking into a Chinese Feast at Toowoomba in Qld, Frank Camorra's MoVida restaurants in Melbourne serving a gourmet tapas menu or Jules in NZ throwing another lamb on the barbie, your Taste of Freedom events remind me why I'm so proud to be part of the Free Schapelle team.

It's the energy, passion and creativity of each supporter that makes the movement so unique, and gives us the power to save a life and nurture hope in the darkest corners of our minds.

Thank you for being part of this special moment in history. Cheers to you, and to the Free Schapelle Network! http://www.schapelle.ning.com/

Neville Wright / Jules Riding

Senseless war on Drugs

2011-05-25T12:30:00.000+10:00

In days, a group of powerful world leaders will ask the UN to end the war on drugs and move towards regulation. But politicians say that the public will not support alternative drug policies. Let's give this unique opportunity massive public support and get urgent action. Sign below, and tell everyone:

In days, we could finally see the beginning of the end of the ‘war on drugs’. This expensive war has completely failed to curb the plague of drug addiction, while costing countless lives, devastating communities, and funneling trillions of dollars into violent organized crime networks.

Experts all agree that the most sensible policy is to regulate, but politicians are afraid to touch the issue. In days, a global commission including former heads of state and foreign policy chiefs of the UN, EU, US, Brazil, Mexico and more will break the taboo and publicly call for new approaches including decriminalization and regulation of drugs.

This could be a once-in-a-generation tipping-point moment -- if enough of us call for an end to this madness. Politicians say they understand that the war on drugs has failed, but claim the public isn't ready for an alternative. Let's show them we not only accept a sane and humane policy -- we demand it. Click below to sign the petition and share with everyone --if we reach 1 million voices, it will be personally delivered to world leaders by the global commission:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/end_the_war_on_drugs/?vl Please sign this petition today.

Schapelle Corby has been a victim of this senseless war. How much better it would be if people entering a country and caught with drugs are immediately sent back to their home country. How much better it would be if countries like Indonesia followed proper police procedures in preservation of evidence so it can be tested by the defence. How much better it would be if graft was not a way of life for the Bali police and judiciary. How much better it would be if lawyers in Indonesia defended their clients instead of attempting to negotiate settlements based on what the defendant can pay.

Indonesia is yet to recognise the futility of the war on drugs. Until that happens we will see more foreign nationals caught up in Indonesia's web of graft and corruption in an attempt to bribe their way to a lower sentence.

Why was the AFP refused evidence for testing

2011-05-22T14:59:00.000+10:00

Schapelle Corby in a written request to the Australian Consul in Bali, asked that the drugs said to be in her possession be forensically tested and a sample be given to the AFP for that purpose. That request was refused by the Bali Police. What was their reason for refusing a request for evidence to be tested? Would they have been embarrassed if the AFP found it was Indonesian weed? How would they have reacted?

Below is the document that lays out the rules for cooperation between Indonesia and Australia in relation to criminal matters. Have a read and see if you can find any reason for refusal by the Bali police for forensic testing.

http://untreaty.un.org/unts/144078_158780/16/7/7481.pdf

4. The Requested State shall promptly inform the Requesting State of a decision of the
Requested State not to comply in whole or in part with a request for assistance and the reason
for that decision.

The Schapelle Corby Network

2011-01-04T17:15:00.000+10:00

The Schapelle Corby Network

A new support site for Schapelle Corby has been setup. It is called The Schapelle Corby Network and is located at http://schapelle.ning.com/ . Everyone is welcome to create an account, setup their own blog, post on the community blog, upload videos or photos, chat or listen to musiic. We are in the business of bringing people together who believe Schapelle has been served a raw deal so they can spread the word.

You can bring in your Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo and Twitter accounts and friends from those sites.

http://schapelle.ning.com/ is like a Facebook clone but under the members control and without the controversy of the larger social networks. We'll be adding a CafePress shop soon and will be asking for graphics to use on the products. I'll post the size required later. In the meantime you can post your images into an album called CPGraphics where all members can comment before a decision is made.

Send Schapelle a Christmas Message

2010-12-06T11:42:00.000+10:00

Everyone who would like to send Schapelle a message for Christmas just needs to ckick on http://www.freeschapelle.com.au/ for the link where you enter your message and send. Note that all messages are moderated so do not post offensive messages and waste your time.

Shafted in Paradise

2010-11-01T14:01:00.001+10:00

Do your sums!

* Drugs were never proven to be from Australia. Despite her request for testing, the Bali police refused and then ordered to burn the evidence.
+ Fingerprints were never taken. Schapelle asked for this to be done but was refused by the Bali police saying it was not necessary.
+ Schapelle's baggage was not weighed. Despite asking to compare weight with checkin weight, the Bali police refused.
+ No investigation was ever made by the Bali police into her distribution network as it never existed.
+ No investigation was ever made by Bali Police into her drug contacts in Bali as they never existed.
+ The AFP announced that it was not their job to clear people of criminal charges. She was never investigated by the AFP as there was No case to answer in Australia!
= Schapelle was sentenced to 20 yrs for a crime that never happened!

It is obvious DRUGS WERE PLANTED IN BALI in Schapelle's bag by Indonesian Baggage Handlers or police. For what reason we will never know but we can have a very good guess and that would be to shake down a tourist or on authority from higher up.

Tell your friends how an Aussie Tourist was shafted in Paradise at http://www.freeschapelle.com.au/

Bail police planted drugs on Schapelle

2010-10-20T12:52:00.000+10:00

If you want to spread the message of what really happened to Schapelle then visit this site. http://www.freeschapelle.com.au/
Then tell of your friends by email, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, gmail, Yahoo or any other social media. Just choose the appropriate link on the page.

Here's the message...

Schapelle Corby victim of Bali Police Shake Down
DRUGS PLANTED in Schapelle's bag by Indonesian Baggage Handlers or police

* Drugs were never proven to be from Australia. Despite her request for testing, the Bali police refused and then ordered to burn the evidence.
* Fingerprints were never taken. Schapelle asked for this to be done but was refused by the Bali police saying it was not necessary.
* Schapelle's baggage was not weighed. Despite asking to compare weight with checkin weight, the Bali police refused.
* No investigation was ever made by the Bali police into her distribution network as it never existed.
* No investigation was ever made by Bali Police into her drug contacts in Bali as they never existed.
* The AFP announced that it was not their job to clear people of criminal charges. She was never investigated by the AFP.
* Alexander Downer said in an interview with Monica Attard on the ABC, "look at the Bali end!"

* Schapelle was sentenced to 20 yrs for a crime that never happened!

Schapelle Corby now cannot communicate coherently and suffers from a severe psychotic mental disorder that requires urgent repatriation to a suitable facility in Australia to have any hope of regaining her life. If she stays where she is now she will certainly die.... in prison!

Schapelle and the Bali Police

2010-10-10T08:10:00.001+10:00

In all fairness to the AFP and the Australian Government, people should start looking at the Bali police. Here are a few facts that are overlooked by the media.

* The drugs were never proven to have come from Australia. No test for pollens or hair in the package was ever done.

* Corby via the Australian Consul requested the AFP be given a sample for testing. The AFP requested that and was refused by the Bali police and the evidence since burnt.

* Corby requested fingerprinting of the plastic bag but the Bali police refused.

* Corby requested that the baggage be weighed to compare with checkin weight which was recorded. Again the request was refused.

* The shifting of blame onto the Aussie Baggage handlers was not done by the Corby's but by a shyster lawyer acting for them.(since debarred)

Plainly and simply Corby was setup by the Bali police to gain a conviction of any Aussie on importation of Marijuana into Indonesia, something that had never happened before or since. They wanted to send Australia a strong message. Stay out of our domestic affairs or reap the consequences.

Prior to Corby's arrest, Australia was interfering in the domestic affairs of Indonesia with PM Howard acting as George Bush's Deputy Sheriff in SE Asia. That all ceased after Corby's arrest and Australians were told to respect the Indonesian justice system and let the case run its course. When asked by the media why the Corby's had not been investigated in Australia, the then head ofthe AFP, Mike Keelty said 'it is not the job of the AFP to clear people'. The Australian Foreign Minister in an early radio interview with Monica Attard on the ABC said 'Look at the Bali End' when asked about Corby. All of the above is documented, yet because of the heavy investment by Australian Companies in Indonesia (including the media), Corby and her family have been victimised and made scapegoats of international relations and trade.

It is time the bone was pointed at the the Bali police and their complicity in creating a crime that never existed. http://www.freeschapelle.com.au

Why Schapelle Matters

2010-10-02T15:09:00.000+10:00

I believe the source of the drugs is paramount to the Corby case. It was never proven to be from Australia. That leaves a grave doubt for justice being obtained in Indonesia unless you pay the price. While there is any possibility in the minds of Australians that the MJ came from Australia Schapelle is guilty for the majority. But when there is serious doubt that it did not come from Australia there is hope for Australians to get unhappy, hopefully very unhappy!

From day one I have been convinced that Schapelle was setup in Bali by persons unknown, but the Bali police were complicit in the crime by refusing to fingerprint the bag, refusing to weigh the luggage and refusing a sample for testing. All three items had the potential to have Schapelle released with a big 'sorry' and compensation.

Instead we have a situation where an entire family have been dragged through the mud, reputations ruined and a large on going bill to maintain Schapelle in a cell where the rent has to be paid, food supplied that you would not feed your dog, given sleeping and sanitation conditions that sap the mind and body and medical support that is grossly lacking. The family is forced to pay for Schapelle's health & personal care items, food, water, clothes, medicine, doctors and other incidentals that help keep her alive. The family has been served a 20 year sentence as well.

So where the drugs came from is very important. We need to spread that message at every opportunity until the people of Australia start pushing the government in large enough numbers for them to take notice. The stench of the mutual assistance between the two countries on criminal matters has to be aired in public until that very bad smell pervades the halls of our federal parliament forcing the government to act.

My determination to help support Schapelle is based on the knowledge that if we let both governments get away with the sacrifice of one Australian to the gods of avarice and convenience, then god help the rest of us. That is why Schapelle matters.
Nev

What really happened to Schapelle corby?

2010-09-25T21:49:00.001+10:00

Three new videos! Three new videos that you definitely want to see to find out what really happened to Schapelle Corby.

Why did the Bali Police refuse AFP access to testing the evidence?
Why was the marijuana never proven to be from Australia?
Why our AFP never investigated the Corby's?

The Corby Scandal Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDQBVpuoobo

The Corby Scandal Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a_yJ_7zeI8

The Corby Scandal Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dt_vZuP0XM

Schapelle Corby Clemency Campaign

2010-08-03T22:10:00.000+10:00

LATEST NEWS

AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER, THE HON Ms. JULIA GILLARD AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS SCHAPELLE CORBY’S CLEMENCY APPEAL

DATE: 29th July 2010

When it came it could hardly have been more clear:

"I support, the Australian government supports, her plea for clemency" the Prime Minister told reporters while campaigning in Melbourne. "We obviously do want that plea for clemency to be heard and to get sympathetic consideration. I'm very concerned about her personal circumstances and I do support her plea."

Foreign Minister Smith re-iterated this: “I made it clear to Indonesian authorities that if and when she formally made an application of clemency to the President that we would support it”

What is also encouraging is the public reference to Schapelle's 'personal circumstances', which can only refer to Schapelle's extremely grave health situation. This is a big step forward, and very welcome.

THE NEED FOR URGENCY

One aspect which needs to be stressed is the need for urgency. Schapelle is seriously ill. Yet incredibly, almost a full year since she was diagnosed as mentally ill, she remains in a squalid prison cell: the exact conditions which caused her psychosis.

The effect on her has been all too predictable. She cannot hold a coherent conversation, she has regressed
into a child like state, she hallucinates, and her medications are now taking a terrible toll on her body. She is
in rapid decline, and is unable to tend to herself and defend herself in that terrible environment. We urge the politicians to understand this, and to realize what it means in practice. The level of suffering amounts to severe mental torture, and she simply will not survive if this is prolonged. It is exactly the scenario which Dr Jonathan Phillips predicted, when he examined her. Dr Phillips is one of Australia's most eminent psychiatrists and former president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College.

He puts it bluntly: "She is hanging on by a thread".

As stark as these words are, they can never fully reflect the incredible suffering Schapelle is enduring. Trying to imagine the terrible depths of despair of severe mental illness in a normal environment is bad enough, but in such a harsh, cruel, squalid and dangerous place? A place which is in itself the root cause of her psychosis?

It is little wonder that some of the stories which have emerged recently are simply too heartbreaking to reproduce here. They would make a stone cry.

SUPPORT

Thank you for your support Prime Minister. We hope that you and the Indonesian President understand the urgency of the situation.

Happy birthday Schapelle

2010-07-08T14:00:00.002+10:00

July 10th is another milestone in the path to freedom for Schapelle Corby. The problem is how many more birthdays will she have to endure locked up in Bali for a crime she did not commit. Australian governments have come and gone and still they trot out their old 'dog whistle' and tell the public they are doing all the can for Schapelle and they are working on a PTA (Prisoner Transfer Agreement).

Guards, reporters and photographers all out to make a buck!

2010-01-18T10:43:00.000+10:00

Today's New Idea is carrying the real story behind those shocking photos of Schapelle throwing water in people's faces. The very idea of traipsing news hounds and photographers through an inmates cell, turning over their possessions is a gross violation of their human rights. They are being treated like zoo animals. Get the latest New Idea to read the full story. It is apparent that the jail is on a promotion to show the 'quality' of the accommodation offered to guests.

Nev

Schapelle Corby Christmas Newsletter

2009-12-22T16:13:00.002+10:00

The newsletter from the official support forum for Schapelle Corby has published it's Christmas Newsletter. With over 9 pages plus a pdf attachment it is too large to email but you can send the pdf very easily. http://www.freeschapelle.com.au/files/xmas2009.pdf is the link. Just attach that link and send to your friends on Twitter, MySpace or Facebook.

We have editorial content from Canada, the U.S.A and Australia. Read it on line at http://www.freeschapelle.com.au/xmas2009/xmas1.html.

Because of her detiorating mental health the supporters are urging PM Rudd to pick up the phone and talk to President SBY in Indonesia. There are easy diplomatic ways these two men can have Corby's sentence reduced to possession and send her home on compassionate grounds. After all, there is a big doubt as to whether the marijuana came from Australia? Remember? She asked for it to be tested for origin and that was refused by the Bali police.

So come on Rudd, pick up that hotline to SBY and start talking!

The clock is ticking. I am sure SBY does not want an Australian female die on his watch.

Corby to be brought home to Australia

2009-12-22T15:58:00.004+10:00

If SBY does not have it in his heart to see an Australian jailed in Bali die on his watch, then he can easily change the rules. As the MJ was never tested for point of origin, despite her requests, he could push the charge back to just possession. What is the average for that in Indonesia? Somewhere between 5 and 10 years. With six years down and being mentally unfit for jail, he could immediately set her free on compassionate grounds.

Now, SBY, you could make your relations with Australia look a lot better if you handled this with grace and gave the girl a Christmas worth remembering. Pick up the phone and call PM Rudd and let him make the announcement. That will make both of you look good.

Go on, just do it.

Friends of Schapelle

2009-12-01T14:18:00.003+10:00

For everyone who believes that Schapelle should have an early release due to her deteorating psychosis, we urge you to register as a friend. Then you can bring in your My Space, Twitter, Facebook and other Social network friends as well. All friends will get a newsletter as and when they are produced, by email to keep you up to date.

Schapelle's medical condition is worsening and with the Australian government unwilling to help further for fear of upsetting relations with Indonesia, she needs all of the friends she can get.