Corby Set to Say Goodbye to Bali
Denpasar, 1 Ramadan 1438/27 May 2017 (MINA) – More than 12 years after boarding a flight that would see her thrust from a relaxed life on the Gold Coast into that of a convicted drug smuggler, Schapelle Corby is returning home.
Just like her entrance into Indonesia in October 2004 and subsequent trial, appeal and release on parole, her departure is unlikely to be a quiet affair.
Just like her entrance into Indonesia in October 2004 and subsequent trial, appeal and release on parole, her departure is unlikely to be a quiet affair.
Having spent this week inside her Kuta villa in Bali, sheltering from a growing media pack, the anxious 39-year-old is expected to board a flight from Denpasar to Brisbane late on Saturday night.
Her sister Mercedes and her bodyguard, who has protected the likes of the Dalai Lama and Roger Federer, are expected to join her in the journey, while up to 100 police officers are set to be deployed to guard her home.
“Police are securing Corby’s house because it’s not normal, there are too many people,” head of Bali’s Law and Human Rights Office, Ida Bagus Ketut Adnyana, said on Friday.
She will be processed by immigration officials at the airport and authorities insist she will not be allowed to use the VIP exit.
However, her vehicle is expected to be escorted through Bali by police, while at the airport it is likely she will be taken through a separate passage to normal passengers.
The end of long battle and a case
Her departure marks the end of Corby’s long battle with Indonesian officials which began when they uncovered 4.2kg of marijuana in her bodyboard bag in Denpasar airport in October 2004.
It will also mark the end of a case that has put strain on relations between Indonesia and Australia.
“Not only was it a major political issue between our two countries, it defined the bilateral relationship for a number of years,” president of the Australian-based Indonesia Institute Ross Taylor told AAP.
It also revealed Australia’s “distorted perception” of Indonesia as a very “narrow one”, with “Schapelle Corby, Bintang Beer, Bali, terrorism and boat people” becoming synonymous with our neighbour, he said.
Whether there has been much improvement since Corby is debatable.
A 2015 Lowy Institute poll showed only one third (34 per cent) of Australians regard Indonesia as a democracy.
Improving understanding of Indonesia remains a challenge going forward, Mr Taylor said.
How Corby adds to this narrative will be closely watched.
Corby’s mother, Rosleigh Rose, told reporters on Thursday that no media deal had been reached but did not rule one out.
Corby will be banned from re-entering Indonesia for six months – a term that could be repeatedly extended depending on requests from authorities.
In the 2006 book My Story, Corby said she once wanted to be famous but this kind of fame was not what she had in mind.
“I don’t understand why people won’t just leave me alone,” she wrote.
“It’s neverending and I know it will continue until the day someone comes to say, ‘Pack your bags, you’re checking out”
Corby has packed her bags but people will still be watching. T/RS5/RS1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)