Bali whiz to pursue drug case

The Bali prosecutor who will lead the coming case against Australian Schapelle Leigh Corby has already prosecuted more than six foreigners accused of bringing drugs onto the tourist island,including one who got the death penalty.

Yesterday, Denpasar prosecutors said Ms Corby's case,in which she is accused of importing 4.2kg of marijuana into Bali, was very serious when compared with other cases before the courts.

Ms Corby, who denies the charges or any knowledge of the drug, is being referred to in local media as the Queen of Marijuana.

Prosecutors said that early this year a man from Sierra Leone found guilty of importing 500g of heroin into Bali, received the death penalty. He had initially received a life sentence and when he appealed against the decision in Denpasar's High Court, he was hit instead with a death sentence in an indication of the tough stand taken against drugs in Indonesia.

His case was tried by prosecutor, Ida Bagus Nyoman Wiswantanu, who will lead the team against Ms Corby, whose trial could begin as early as next month.

Ms Corby, a 27-year-old beauty therapy student from the Gold Coast, was arrested at bali's international airport on October 8 after a flight from Brisbane to Denpasar.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 3rd November 2004
Source: Northern Territory News
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au
Email: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Copyright: 2004 Northern Territory News