Downer assists Corby Legal team

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer

Yahoo
Monday March 7, 06:58 PM


Downer helps Corby supporters
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has urged Gold Coast woman Schapelle Corby's supporters to focus on her drugs trial rather than abusing the government or the Indonesian justice system.

Corby, 27, denies charges she smuggled 4.1 kg of cannabis into Bali's Denpasar Airport in her unlocked boogie board bag in October last year.

Mr Downer indicated he would intervene in the case after complaints from Corby's lawyers that the government had not done enough to help their client.

On Monday afternoon the foreign minister met Corby's Australian lawyer Robin Tampo and Queensland businessman Ron Bakir to talk about the case.

Mr Bakir has been helping with Corby's defence, funding a mercy mission to Bali last month to ensure her Indonesian lawyers got all the assistance they needed for her case.

Corby's supporters want to get access to airport video footage for their defence case, and are keen to get proof of how heavy her boogie board bag was before it arrived in Indonesia.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Downer said the government was happy to help her lawyers obtain as much information as possible.

But he told Mr Tampo and Mr Bakir they needed to have realistic expectations of what was possible.

"It's very important to have a sense of realistic expectations of what the government can do," he said.

"They want information from airlines, they want information from the airport and so on and where that information is not available there is nothing we can do about that."

Mr Downer said he also told the men it would be better if they concentrated their efforts on the case rather than abusing Australian and Indonesian authorities.

"(I) made it clear that there is no point in lashing out at the Indonesians or at the Australian government or whatever it may be," he said.

"The important thing is to concentrate on the case itself and to ensure that the defence argues its case as best as it possibly can - not to attack the people who in the end are likely to be helpful."

Mr Downer said he had discussed ways the government might be able to help, as well as providing them with information about the Indonesian justice system.

"I hope, as a result of the meeting, they know two things - one is what will and won't work.

"Secondly, they know that we're happy to help them as best we can but we can't do what is impossible.

"They want to know how much the boogie board weighed when it was checked in at the airport. Well, that information isn't available because the boogie board was checked in (with) other luggage, so there is only an aggregate weight.

"They want some information from the close circuit television cameras. Well, that information isn't available because they wipe those within a few hours of having made the film."


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