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Life sentence for smuggling weed...or perhaps even death!
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| starsearcher |
| quote: | Prosecutors seek life sentence for Australian in Bali drug trial
Thu Apr 21, 3:54 AM ET
Indonesian prosecutors sought a life sentence for an Australian woman on trial for allegedly smuggling a large quantity of marijuana onto the resort island of Bali.
They also demanded that Schapelle Corby, 27, who was arrested last October when customs officers at Bali's main airport found 4.1 kilograms (nine pounds) of the drug in her luggage, pay a fine of 100 million rupiah (10,460 dollars).
The former beauty student, who has denied the charge, shed tears as the prosecutor's request -- far short of the maximum permitted death penalty -- was translated in the court in the Balinese capital, Denpasar.
"The defendant has been proven, legally and convincingly of illegally and in contravention of the laws, importing class one narcotics," Prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu said.
Corby's case has attracted unprecedented media interest in her homeland, prompting the Australian government to lobby Indonesian legal authorities on her behalf.
The trial is one of the few sticking points in improving ties between the neighbours, which frayed in 1999 when Canberra sent peacekeepers to
East Timor during Indonesia's bloody withdrawal from its former territory.
Wiswantanu said that the sentence would reflect the fact that Corby's alleged crime had sullied Bali's holiday island image and caused mental anguish to its people. Her plea of not guilty would also weigh against her.
The court was adjourned for one week as Corby repeatedly said, "it's not fair," while hugging her lawyer and sobbing sister, Mercedes.
Corby's Australian lawyers have said that they had obtained new evidence that she was unwittingly used as a courier by organised criminals trying to smuggle the drugs on a connecting flight from Brisbane to Sydney.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said Jakarta may agree to a request by Australia for Corby to serve time in her country if convicted, pending a legal agreement between the two nations.
Thursday's submission by prosecutors was only a recommendation, which judges can choose to ignore.
Indonesian courts have been handing out severe penalties in narcotics trials in the past few years as the country attempts to get tough on a growing drug abuse problem.
Thirty one death sentences for drug offences have been issued since 2000.
Two Thai nationals and an Indian convicted for drug trafficking in 1994 were executed, by firing squads, last year.
Nine more Australians are facing a possible death penalty in Bali for allegedly smuggling heroin after they were arrested earlier this week in a joint operation by Indonesian and Australian police.
strs/bs/bjn/lh |
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| Blue Meanies |
| that is ed up:eyes: |
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| starsearcher |
| 9 more Asutralians have been arrested recently for trafficing fairly small amounts of Heroin and are very likely to face a firing squad - execution... |
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| b4k-oz |
This is truly sad.
Australia has had a lot of similar cases in the past.
Poor girls being hired by semi-legit companies claiming to be modelling agencies or whatever.
Sometimes it's simply some randomly selected girl on holiday with family or friends that has fallen for some cute American/European guy that manages to be around to say goodbye at the airport and plants the drugs in the carry-on or in the luggage he so conveniently helped carry to the taxi.
I remember hearing a case about some stupid struggling actor paid to travel and then forced (b/c they held his passport hostage) to distract while the prearranged taxi guy puts the drugs in the luggage he shoved into the trunk.
It's so sad :( :sadgreen: :mad: :whip: :whip: :whip: |
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| starsearcher |
| Bridget Jones? :toothless |
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| b4k-oz |
| quote: | Originally posted by starsearcher
Bridget Jones? :toothless |
Huh...what's with the girly movie :conf: |
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| starsearcher |
| quote: | Originally posted by b4k-oz
Huh...what's with the girly movie :conf: |
You gotta watch Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason to understand...similar story |
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| b4k-oz |
| quote: | Originally posted by starsearcher
You gotta watch Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason to understand...similar story |
Oh. Never seen it.
LOL ... so they plagurized a case to sell movie tickets. |
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| ShadoWolf |
| quote: | Originally posted by starsearcher
You gotta watch Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason to understand...similar story |
please tell me a girl made you watch that
:nervous: :nervous:
:p |
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| djn8goulet |
| There has got to be a reson why all these Australians are getting nabbed. One reason could be that the is getting planted without there knowing of it. The other reason could be that the run A to B used to be lucritive so why not bring a little over, no one's geting caught, but now they're finally catching on. The other reason could be simply this; How many of you or people that you know have done some pretty stupid things in our lives? How many of you or people that you know would risk making a buck? How many of us would deny deny deny after the hits the fan? My guess is she grew up in a nice familly but had a ed up lifestyle and decided to take a chance in a country that really doesn't give a about howe cute you are, she did it to herself. |
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| starsearcher |
| quote: | Originally posted by djn8goulet
There has got to be a reson why all these Australians are getting nabbed. One reason could be that the is getting planted without there knowing of it. The other reason could be that the run A to B used to be lucritive so why not bring a little over, no one's geting caught, but now they're finally catching on. The other reason could be simply this; How many of you or people that you know have done some pretty stupid things in our lives? How many of you or people that you know would risk making a buck? How many of us would deny deny deny after the hits the fan? My guess is she grew up in a nice familly but had a ed up lifestyle and decided to take a chance in a country that really doesn't give a about howe cute you are, she did it to herself. |
To answer your question (well one of them at least)...
| quote: | | The drug raids were conducted with the cooperation with Australian Federal Police, who had been tracking the operation since February and provided information to Indonesian authorities which led to their arrest. |
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/a...esia/index.html |
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| ShadoWolf |
| To make things worse, the Indonesian government has to prosecute a few westerners a year (mostly Australians) in order to appease the nationalists and Islamic fundamentalists who feel that their country is being "polluted" by western culture (sex, drugs, dance clubs, etc.). It's the same reason why the Bali bombers targeted a club full of westerners. |
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