The Bali court trying Corby will on Monday be handed a
two-paragraph letter from the federal government, alleging Australian airport
baggage handlers may be involved in drug trafficking.
While the letter does not mention Corby by name, it
gives credence to the 27-year-old Gold Coast woman's claims that someone in
Australia put more than four kilograms of marijuana in her body board bag
without her knowledge.
Mr.
Howard said the federal government had prepared a letter for the court hearing
Corby's case outlining claims that airport baggage handlers in Sydney had used
luggage to traffic drugs.
The move has been supported by
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley.
Fifteen people were charged last
week after 9.9kg of cocaine was shipped through Sydney airport allegedly with
the aid of corrupt baggage handlers. One Qantas baggage handler has been stood
down.
Corby, 27, who is accused of
smuggling 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali on October 8 last year, has begged Mr.
Howard for justice, saying she is innocent.
However,
Mr. Howard said he could not interfere with Corby's drugs trial in Bali, despite
her pleas for him to help her return home.
"I cannot interfere in a justice
system of another country.
"I cannot and would not interfere
with the justice system of our own country.
"It's fundamental to our system
of democracy that the executive arm of government doesn't interfere with the
judiciary," he said.
"I know that if a foreigner were
arrested in Australia and charged with an offence and the president or prime
minister of another country started telling our courts what to do, Australia
would be mightily angry.
"But having said all of that I
feel for the girl, I think the whole country has been drawn into this and I can
only repeat my fervent hope that the verdict is true and fair and right and
just."
Mr.
Beazley said he supported the government's moves to prepare a letter about the
alleged trafficking by some airport baggage handlers.
Mr. Beazley said he backed the
government's decision not to interfere with the Corby case.
"That's obviously the case, but
your heart goes out to Schapelle Corby, it's a dreadful set of circumstances for
her to find herself in."
Mr. Beazley added that if Corby
is found guilty, the government should negotiate with Indonesia, to allow her to
serve her time in an Australian prison.
"She's clearly deeply troubled,
it's a very worrying time for her, the hearts of all Australians are with her.
"Now if the verdict goes the
wrong way, and I sincerely hope she's acquitted, but if it goes in the opposite
direction, then absolutely, clearly we have on our hands a situation where the
government must complete its agreement with Indonesia, as it has with a number
of other countries, for an exchange of prisoners, so you can serve Indonesian
time in an Australian jail and vice versa."
The Denpasar District Court will
hand down a verdict on May 27.
The chief prosecutor in the case,
Ida Bagus Wiswantanu, said the letter was too late.
"After the hearing is closed,
it's impossible to present more evidence, if it were to be submitted now, it
would have no value at all according to Indonesian law."
Mr. Wiswantanu also said it
appeared the Australian government was trying to influence the decision in the
Corby case.
"I cannot say the Australian
government is interfering, but surely whoever sent the letter will try to gain
influence in the decision."
The chief judge in the case,
Linton Sirait, also said the letter would make no difference to the decision on
Corby, who faces life in a Bali jail if found guilty.
Meanwhile Australian Federal
Police (AFP) commissioner Mick Keelty has defended his role in the case, after
criticisms he had not helped Corby with his comments on the case.

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