Yahoo – AFP,
May 27, 2017
Australian Schapelle Corby returned home Sunday following her deportation from Bali 12 years after her conviction for drug trafficking, as she battled through a media storm in a dramatic end to a saga that captivated her homeland.
Australian Schapelle Corby was jailed after being arrested in Bali in 2004 with marijuana stashed in her surfing gear (AFP Photo/SONNY TUMBELAKA) |
Australian Schapelle Corby returned home Sunday following her deportation from Bali 12 years after her conviction for drug trafficking, as she battled through a media storm in a dramatic end to a saga that captivated her homeland.
Corby and
her sister Mercedes avoided cameras when she touched down in the eastern city
of Brisbane early on Sunday morning, with live television broadcasts showing a
convoy of vehicles believed to be carrying them leaving the airport.
"It is
with gratefulness and relief that this morning we mark Schapelle Corby's return
to Australia," a member of her security team said, reading out a family
statement at Brisbane airport.
"We
would like to say thank you to Schapelle's supporters for all the faith, love
and support they have shown over the years... Priority of focus will now be on
healing and moving forward."
The beauty
school dropout hit the headlines in Australia when she was arrested in 2014 at
Bali airport with several kilos of hashish stashed in her surfing gear, and was
jailed the following year for 20 years.
Corby, now
39, maintained her innocence, insisting the drugs had been planted, and
received much support back home where some believed she had been set up or was
the victim of a supposedly corrupt justice system.
Her final
day on the Indonesian resort island was a blaze of media attention, as she was
hustled out of a villa with her face hidden under a scarf, and then chased by a
huge pack of journalists before boarding a flight home.
In a final
twist, she managed to outsmart the media by heading back to Brisbane on a
different flight than had been widely expected, apparently to avoid travelling
with a large contingent of reporters.
It was not
clear if she was heading to her mother Rosleigh Rose's home in Loganlea, south
of Brisbane, or to her sister's residence in the Gold Coast.
Day of
drama
Her mother
said this week she was worried about how Corby would adjust to living in
Australia amid the media frenzy.
The family
were also waiting for Corby to return home so she could help scatter her
father's ashes at a secret location after his death nine years ago from cancer.
"Her dad and her were really close," Rose told the Gold Coast Bulletin on Friday.
Corby was
led out of the Bali villa, hidden under a scarf and wearing a pair of
sunglasses, before being whisked away in a convoy that included armoured
vehicles. (AFP Photo/SONNY TUMBELAKA)
|
"Her dad and her were really close," Rose told the Gold Coast Bulletin on Friday.
"When
we are all in touch, when it's the right time, we're going to put his ashes
where he wanted... We can't do it without Schapelle."
The day of
drama was a fitting finale to a story that has fascinated the Australian public
like few others in recent times.
Unlike in
Australia, Indonesia's press dubbed her "The Ganja Queen" and she
received little sympathy from the public, who largely support the country's
tough anti-drugs laws.
Corby's
sentence was cut due to regular remissions and after an appeal to the
president, and she served nine years behind bars. She was released early in
2014 but was required to remain on Bali for three years under the conditions of
her parole.
Australian
media descended on Bali en masse ahead of her homecoming, camping out outside
her villa for several days as Corby did her best to stay hidden.
Hundreds of
police were deployed to provide security on Saturday. Corby was led out of the
villa in the afternoon, hidden under the scarf and wearing a pair of
sunglasses, before being whisked away in a convoy that included armoured
vehicles.
She headed
first to government offices to fill out documents. "Good bye to this
parole paperwork," she posted on her Instagram account, which already had
over 67,000 followers just a few hours after being set up.
She later
posted a photo of her looking out of a plane window, with the word
"Boarded".
Corby then
headed to the airport, boarding a flight on airline Malindo Air at 10:00 pm
(1400 GMT). She had been widely expected to fly on a Virgin service leaving 10
minutes later. Australian journalists had been booked to travel on the Virgin
flight, Australian media reported.
Despite the
controversy surrounding her case, Indonesia has stepped up its campaign against
drug use since she was jailed.
Authorities
have embarked on a campaign of executions targeting drug smugglers, and in
April 2015 put to death two Australians along with six other foreigners.