Pubdate: Thu, 27 Jan 2005
Source: Courier-Mail, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 News Limited
Contact:  http://www.thecouriermail.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/98
Author: Cindy Wockner, in Bali
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Schapelle+Corby ( Schapelle Corby )

DRUG ACCUSED FIGHTS BACK TEARS IN COURT

Schapelle Leigh Corby's first day in court was, in her words, "daunting" -- 
and it looked it.

Yesterday, on day one of her Indonesian trial on drug-smuggling charges, 
she sat in front of the three solemn judges who will decide her fate, her 
chin trembling as she desperately tried to hold back the tears.

At one stage she looked over to her mother Ros, who blew her a kiss. Her 
sister held up both hands, fingers crossed, as the family silently willed 
the case to go her way.

Corby faces the maximum death penalty or life in jail if she is convicted 
of importing 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali.

Clutching a fan to ward against the stifling heat and dressed in a brown 
skirt and long-sleeved blue shirt, her long dark hair pulled back, the 
27-year-old struggled to maintain her composure as the formalities of her 
name and age were announced.

Prosecutor IB Wiswantanu read from a four-page indictment containing three 
different charges.

At the end, Corby told the judges through a female translator that she 
understood the indictment, adding "but it is not true".

Later, outside court and in a holding cell with more than a dozen other 
mostly male prisoners, she described the experience as "daunting" and 
vehemently denied prosecution claims she had told a customs officer at Bali 
airport that the drugs were hers.

"I say the translation is wrong -- it's lost in translation," Corby said, 
reiterating that she had never admitted that the drugs belonged to her.

"Did you listen to what they were saying? Nothing is like what happened," 
she said.

She rejected prosecution claims, based on the statement of the customs 
officer, that she was nervous at the airport and attempted to stop him from 
opening the bag found to contain the drugs. "I opened it myself, he didn't 
ask me," she said.

Corby said she had no idea who was behind a conspiracy to set her up.

She expressed hope that Australian authorities, who her lawyers claimed had 
so far failed to act on pledges to assist in having the drugs independently 
tested, would provide some help.

Asked if Australia had done enough, Corby replied simply: "I'm here."

"Anything that they can do, please help," she pleaded.

She then embraced her mother, who had flown from the Gold Coast, her sister 
Mercedes and friends.

Outside court an Australian embassy spokeswoman said the Government could 
not intervene in the Indonesian legal system but that consular officials 
were monitoring the case to ensure the case proceeded fairly and Corby's 
welfare was protected.

Corby's lawyers have decided not to present an "excepsi" or rebuttal in 
relation to the legal issues, opting instead to go straight to witnesses.

At the next court appearance they will ask the judges "in the strongest 
possible way" to assist in their battle to have the marijuana independently 
tested.

"We will request the court at the next hearing to do this testing, it is 
very important to our case," Vasu Rasiah, a member of her legal team, said 
outside court.

Corby wants the drugs tested to determine their origin and also the 
strength of the marijuana.

Mr Rasiah said that from day one Corby had denied any knowledge of the 
drugs and that there was no written or oral record of the customs officer's 
interview with Corby.

"How he came to that conclusion (that she admitted the drugs were hers) is 
anybody's guess," Mr Rasiah said.

The case will resume next Thursday when the first witnesses will be called. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake