Corby case gets a new witness
Date: 28/07/05
By Marian Carroll
A new last-minute witness for Schapelle Corby's case has come forward in a Victorian prison, her Indonesian legal team says.
In a signed statement to the Australian Federal Police, the witness - identified only as Paul - recalled a conversation he overheard earlier this year in Port Phillip Prison between two other inmates, Corby's defence counsel Hotman Paris Hutapea said.
One of the prisoners, allegedly identified as Ronnie Vigenser, was angry that 4.1 kg of marijuana he claimed belonged to him ended up in Bali after a bungled attempt to smuggle it from Brisbane to Sydney, Paul said in the statement, according to Hutapea.
In the past Vigenser has flatly denied being involved in the Corby case.
A spokesman for Justice Minister Chris Ellison confirmed a statement had been passed from the Attorney-General's Department to Corby's lawyers.
He could not provide any further details about the letter because it may identify the person who provided the information.
According to Paul's statement, Vigenser said: "F*** Schapelle Corby, she f****** cost me four kilos of smoke," Hutapea said.
In the statement, Paul said he would refuse to give evidence in Bali, but agreed to testify via videophone link from Australia.
To arrange Paul's testimony, Corby's defence will apply for another extension when her trial reopens at Denpasar District Court on August 3, Hutapea said.
Corby is appealing against a 20-year sentence for drug smuggling, claiming someone must have planted the stash in her luggage after she checked in at Brisbane airport last October.
Paul's statement might corroborate evidence given by another Victorian prisoner, John Patrick Ford, at Corby's original trial earlier this year.
Ford told the court that he overheard two prisoners - Paul and another man named Terry - talking about how Vigenser was angry that his drugs had ended up in Bali and thought it was funny that Corby was taking the blame.
At the original trial, a three Indonesian judge panel dismissed Ford's testimony as hearsay.
The same three judges have since reopened the trial to hear new evidence.
Hutapea called on the AFP to use Paul's statement to arrest Vigenser.
Hutapea said he received a copy of Paul's statement from the federal Attorney-General's Department on Thursday morning.
He had lobbied the Australian government earlier this month to track down Paul and Terry to see whether they could confirm Ford's story.
Federal agent GD McLeod from the AFP's Melbourne office had interviewed Paul, Hutapea said.
In the statement, Paul said he was standing three or four metres from Vigenser in a big yard at the prison one morning when he overheard Vigenser talking to another prisoner, Hutapea said.
Paul could not remember the exact date of the conversation, but said it was about three months after Corby's arrest in October last year, Hutapea said.
Paul also said he had known Vigenser for a long time and could easily identify him if needed.
He was too scared for his safety to publicly reveal the name of the other prisoner with Vigenser, but had given it to police, Hutapea said.
Corby's defence will submit the statement, signed by Paul and McLeod, as evidence at the August 3 hearing.
They will also apply to the Bali High Court via the district court for another extension to facilitate Paul's testimony via videophone link.
Under Indonesian law, at least one public prosecutor, judge and defence lawyer would have to travel to Melbourne to be present with Paul when he delivered his testimony via videophone link to the court, Hutapea said.
An AFP spokeswoman confirmed the police had spoken to a man named in Ford's earlier evidence.
"We have re-interviewed a man who was named in Mr Ford's affidavit," she said.
"The statement (this man) provided, he granted permission for this to be forwarded to Ms Corby's defence team."
The AFP and Senator Ellison's office were unable to provide a copy of the statement.
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