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Corby Convicted of "drug-smuggling"

Corby Convicted of "drug-smuggling"

Following up on a previous blog, Australian Schapelle Corby was convicted of drug-smuggling in Bali, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Breaking down in tears, Ms. Corby embraced her family before Bali thugs took her to a prison cell. Ms. Corby prays for justice every day.

Defense Evidence Ignored, Bali Police Coverup, Corrupt Prosecutors

The judge dismissed her defense that the drugs were planted on her, saying she had no evidence to support that. Apparently, in Bali, like in Nazi Germany, one is presumed guilty until proven innocent, despite the claims of Professor Tim Lindsey. Irrelevant of whatever may or may not be the case as printed on pieces of paper, in practice, it is obvious that one is assumed guilty until proven innocent in Bali.

The prosecution trumped up the claim that Corby admitted the drugs were hers, something she clearly did not do, as she later said. The judge also apparently ignored a letter by the Australlian government stating that they were investigating Quantas Airlines baggage handlers in a cocaine-smuggling operation. Apparently, the reason for this is that the letter was sent "too late": If it were to be submitted now, it would have no value at all according to Indonesian law.

This shows the worthlessness of State legal systems, holding bureaucratic rituals as sancrosanct, more important than human liberty and the pursuit of justice. This is the result of the attitude that "justice" is something that can be legislated on a piece of paper.

The police didn't fingerprint the bag containing the drugs, or videotape their search, so for all we know, they planted the evidence. The prosecution (or police) denied Corby's defense's request to have the marijuana tested to reveal its source, casting further reasonable doubt in-and-of itself. What exactly do they have to hide?

Ron Bakir, the heroic financial backer to Corby's defense, claimed that the prosecution was open to dropping the case in exchange for a bribe, but later retracted that statement (probably because he was traveling to Bali to speak with Corby personally) and apologized to the Bali prosecution.

The Inquisition: A Judge Who Never Acquits

Speaking of the prosecution, I should mention that one of Corby's judges (they don't have juries in Bali) was a de-facto member of the prosecution. "judge" Sirait bragged that he had never acquitted an accused drug-smuggler, and that he'd never sentenced one to less than 5 years. Apparently, Sirait makes no distinction between the words "accused" and "proven guilty". With Inquisitioners like Sirait posing as "judges", why bother with a trial at all? Apparently, the only purpose of the trial was to prolong the poor victim's (in this case Ms. Corby's) agony, making her think there actually was some remote possiblity of something resembling justice, when clearly there wasn't.

In finding Ms. Corby "guilty", Sirait said, "[f]rom Corby's defence I haven't heard anything to prove she is innocent." There it is, clear as day. One has to prove innocence beyond a reasonable doubt -- apparently, beyond all doubt before Sirait. Sirait aquits when hell freezes over.

Bali Hotel Operators "Surprised" at Proposed Boycott

Amazingly, tourism operators in Bali are "dismayed" that some travel agents and others in Australia are calling for a boycott on Bali because of the Corby-case. In a inspiring show of support for Corby, 177 Australian travel agents said they'd stop selling Bali if Corby was found guilty. Australians have been the biggest tourists to Bali, brining in large amounts of money. Bali hotel operators are puzzled at the desire to "punish the Balinese", since Corby's defense is that individuals in Australia planted the drugs on her. They claim to be puzzled at this, when the baggage handlers were responsible. The baggage handlers were responsible for planting the drugs, not for prosecuting Ms. Corby. That falls on the heads of the prosecutors.

As for the hotels in Bali, it is quite possible that many of them support these draconian anti-drug fiat-legislation or decree, and thus share responsibility. For those that do, this is punishment. For those that don't, it is a free-market response -- well within the right of consumers -- to encourage them to actively oppose such barbarism. Here, we have, as I predicted earlier, and example of a State action lowering the attractiveness of Bali to tourists, thus lowering property-values in Bali. Who would want to travel to a country where one is de-facto presumed guilty until proven innocent, and where all evidence set forth in one's defense is systematically ignored, either outright or because of worthless legal minutia on procedure? Who would want to go to a country where to be accused of a crime is equivalent to being convicted of a crime, and where a trial is only held for show?

Resources:

Firstly, an interview with Schapelle Corby. Thanks to Alan Singer, who blogged about Corby for these references:

What You Can Do

Unfortunately, it is now too late to write anything to Bali officials regarding the case, although it is now obvious that no please for civility and respect of human rights, nor even any evidence, could have helped Corby against the Inquisition she faced. However, Ms. Corby (Schapelle) could still use the support of people world-wide:

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