bit_pattern
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I love how media that report on the "increasingly comical" media circus never see themselves as part of the problem.
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DPMC Moderators: tryptakid
Schapelle Corby will celebrate freedom 'with a joint', says former lawyer Kerry Smith
- Thread starter poledriver
- Start date
poledriver
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Indonesia bans Schapelle Corby from doing TV interview
The Indonesian government has banned Schapelle Corby from doing a television interview because it will cause "restlessness" in the local community.
If she goes ahead anyway, local authorities have threatened to revoke her parole and send her back to Kerobokan prison.
The unexpected intervention will throw into disarray the plans of both the Corby family and the Seven Network's Sunday Night program to make a fortune from the exclusive interview.
Deputy justice and human rights minister Denny Indrayana said in Bali late on Thursday that he and his minister were "of the same belief" that an interview would breach the regulations governing prisoners on parole.
"If you're going to do the interview, especially if it's going to be paid, it will cause ... restlessness in the community, so I have instructed the officer here at the Corrections Bureau to advise the family not to do it, because in the end, it will, to our understanding, cause polemic."
"It's going to cause polemic, so it's possible that we will revoke her parole."
Dr Denny's boss, the minister, Amir Syamsuddin, had earlier accused Corby of planning to "profit from something that will upset people".
Television journalist Mike Willesee, who since Monday has been waiting in the same luxury compound as Corby to interview the convicted drug smuggler, declined to comment to Fairfax Media immediately after Mr Denny's announcement.
Corby's parole conditions are simple, but government regulations allow broad political discretion for it to be revoked, including the "restlessness" clause, and Corby's behaviour since being released on Monday has caused anger in an election year, putting pressure on politicians to crack down on her.
Corby's choice of expensive accommodation rather than the family compound listed on parole documents, the interview and Tuesday's picture of her drinking beer in the clothes she was wearing when released from Kerobokan have all caused media and public controversy in Indonesia. The backlash includes accusations that the government has conspired with the Australian government to give her special treatment.
Dr Denny insisted that Corby "has her freedom of speech, but her release was with conditions".
In a statement before the Indonesian government intervention, Corby's sister Mercedes was oblivious of the pending order, saying: "When Schapelle is ready to speak, the parole officers will be informed."
The head of the Bali Corrections Bureau (Bapas), Ketut Artha, later said he had taken the deputy minister's advice as an instruction. He was likely to relay that to the Corby family on Friday morning.
"We might go there ... or we might speak to the guarantor [Corby's Balinese brother-in-law Wayan Widyartha]".
Mr Ketut, who has resolutely defended Corby's right to live where she wanted within Bali, has also now suggested that she move as soon as she is ready.
"Though she's not breaching any condition that we know of, we'll make a suggestion that she does not stay there after she's fit," he said.
The deputy speaker of Indonesia's house of representatives was quoted by Indonesian media on Thursday as doubting the integrity of the parole decision.
"It would appear there really has been international lobbying [in the Corby case]," he said.
The Indonesian President's parliamentary opponents are hoping to drag out the negative press in this election year.
The President is being criticised for, on the one hand, taking a tough anti-drugs line, while also issuing Corby a generous five-year remission on her sentence in 2012.
Several members of the parliament's legal affairs commission have foreshadowed an official parliamentary inquiry.
"Corby deserved the death penalty from the start," MP and committee member Sarifuddin Sudding said, while adding that an inquiry had widespread support and been canvassed privately.
Last night a member of the President's cabinet tweeted critically about Corby; communications minister Tifatul Sembiring described her as hiding her face "behind a veil of fantasy".
Cont-
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/indo...v-interview-20140214-32npj.html#ixzz2tEC55nab
The Indonesian government has banned Schapelle Corby from doing a television interview because it will cause "restlessness" in the local community.
If she goes ahead anyway, local authorities have threatened to revoke her parole and send her back to Kerobokan prison.
The unexpected intervention will throw into disarray the plans of both the Corby family and the Seven Network's Sunday Night program to make a fortune from the exclusive interview.
Deputy justice and human rights minister Denny Indrayana said in Bali late on Thursday that he and his minister were "of the same belief" that an interview would breach the regulations governing prisoners on parole.
"If you're going to do the interview, especially if it's going to be paid, it will cause ... restlessness in the community, so I have instructed the officer here at the Corrections Bureau to advise the family not to do it, because in the end, it will, to our understanding, cause polemic."
"It's going to cause polemic, so it's possible that we will revoke her parole."
Dr Denny's boss, the minister, Amir Syamsuddin, had earlier accused Corby of planning to "profit from something that will upset people".
Television journalist Mike Willesee, who since Monday has been waiting in the same luxury compound as Corby to interview the convicted drug smuggler, declined to comment to Fairfax Media immediately after Mr Denny's announcement.
Corby's parole conditions are simple, but government regulations allow broad political discretion for it to be revoked, including the "restlessness" clause, and Corby's behaviour since being released on Monday has caused anger in an election year, putting pressure on politicians to crack down on her.
Corby's choice of expensive accommodation rather than the family compound listed on parole documents, the interview and Tuesday's picture of her drinking beer in the clothes she was wearing when released from Kerobokan have all caused media and public controversy in Indonesia. The backlash includes accusations that the government has conspired with the Australian government to give her special treatment.
Dr Denny insisted that Corby "has her freedom of speech, but her release was with conditions".
In a statement before the Indonesian government intervention, Corby's sister Mercedes was oblivious of the pending order, saying: "When Schapelle is ready to speak, the parole officers will be informed."
The head of the Bali Corrections Bureau (Bapas), Ketut Artha, later said he had taken the deputy minister's advice as an instruction. He was likely to relay that to the Corby family on Friday morning.
"We might go there ... or we might speak to the guarantor [Corby's Balinese brother-in-law Wayan Widyartha]".
Mr Ketut, who has resolutely defended Corby's right to live where she wanted within Bali, has also now suggested that she move as soon as she is ready.
"Though she's not breaching any condition that we know of, we'll make a suggestion that she does not stay there after she's fit," he said.
The deputy speaker of Indonesia's house of representatives was quoted by Indonesian media on Thursday as doubting the integrity of the parole decision.
"It would appear there really has been international lobbying [in the Corby case]," he said.
The Indonesian President's parliamentary opponents are hoping to drag out the negative press in this election year.
The President is being criticised for, on the one hand, taking a tough anti-drugs line, while also issuing Corby a generous five-year remission on her sentence in 2012.
Several members of the parliament's legal affairs commission have foreshadowed an official parliamentary inquiry.
"Corby deserved the death penalty from the start," MP and committee member Sarifuddin Sudding said, while adding that an inquiry had widespread support and been canvassed privately.
Last night a member of the President's cabinet tweeted critically about Corby; communications minister Tifatul Sembiring described her as hiding her face "behind a veil of fantasy".
Cont-
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/indo...v-interview-20140214-32npj.html#ixzz2tEC55nab
One Thousand Words
Bluelighter
I'd probably agree with them. She is barely a week out on parole. Technically she is still serving her sentence. I can't see anything she would say that wouldn't potentially inflame the Indonesian justice system. It will be a dour interview if all they ask her is what did she miss most and does she want to have children one day? The $2million questions would surely be asking about the actual drug trafficking and her innocence or not. That's not something I'd be comfortable talking about until I was safely back in Australia.
poledriver
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Yeah. So how will that work, she has to wait the 2-3 yrs or whatever to give the really juicy interview and then if she does it whilst back in Australia, the money would still have to be paid into her sisters or brother in laws accounts in Indo? Obviously she couldn't be paid in Australia or it will be taken under the proceeds of crime act/laws.
After 2 or 3 more years alot more people wont care about the case as much anymore and she'll be lucky to get 100 grand I guess? Things are really pretty messed up for her now, she has to stay there and she can apparently work in her brothers business, but I imagine she wont be making much money really, but it is possible that her family have saved quite a fair bit of money from all the media things they have done over the years and will continue to provide her with as much money as she needs for as long as she needs. Even when she comes back to Australia (if she does?) it'll be pretty hard for her to get some serious work for a while wouldnt you think with her notoriety.
After 2 or 3 more years alot more people wont care about the case as much anymore and she'll be lucky to get 100 grand I guess? Things are really pretty messed up for her now, she has to stay there and she can apparently work in her brothers business, but I imagine she wont be making much money really, but it is possible that her family have saved quite a fair bit of money from all the media things they have done over the years and will continue to provide her with as much money as she needs for as long as she needs. Even when she comes back to Australia (if she does?) it'll be pretty hard for her to get some serious work for a while wouldnt you think with her notoriety.
One Thousand Words
Bluelighter
They have now told her to leave the luxury resort and move back to her brother in laws house where her parole papers said she would reside. You can understand the average Indonesian who makes a few dollars a day and who don't drink alcohol getting pissed off with the foreign girl out on parole living it up and drinking beers.
I don't know who is advising her but they need a pay cut. Some fundamentally stupid decisions by her family right from the screaming at the judge during her trial. Racist brogans thumbing their nose at the poor savages is never a good look, particularly when their trump card is the ability to throw you straight back into a shit blown jail cell.
I don't know who is advising her but they need a pay cut. Some fundamentally stupid decisions by her family right from the screaming at the judge during her trial. Racist brogans thumbing their nose at the poor savages is never a good look, particularly when their trump card is the ability to throw you straight back into a shit blown jail cell.
bit_pattern
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The media circus isn't helping matters. I'm sure you probably could get away with pissing it up at a resort while on parole in Indonesia IF it weren't being rubbed in the face of the authorities like it is.
bit_pattern
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Maybe, just maybe, if the Corby's weren't so keen for big, easy pay days they wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place. Maybe having the humility to forgo the $2 mil and realising that one's freedom is priceless might lead to better outcomes for everybody involved. Just sayin'...
bit_pattern
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There's a guy on The Drum atm - a talking head from an Asian law think tank of some variety - he's made a couple of points.
1. A new law was brought in that is included in her terms of parole that proscribes any "disturbance of public peace" or something along those lines that she may already have breached, interview or no interview
2. She's still a prisoner as a parolee and any income earned by a prisoner under Indonesian law belongs to the state.
3. She's been expressly told not to conduct an interview.
She'll go back to jail if she does.
1. A new law was brought in that is included in her terms of parole that proscribes any "disturbance of public peace" or something along those lines that she may already have breached, interview or no interview
2. She's still a prisoner as a parolee and any income earned by a prisoner under Indonesian law belongs to the state.
3. She's been expressly told not to conduct an interview.
She'll go back to jail if she does.
bit_pattern
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^^ Prescient - I'm not the only one who sees it
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Money at the root of the 'Corby curse'
Reporters who have covered the Schapelle Corby saga from the start call it the "Corby curse" — the chaos, disaster and betrayal that so routinely surrounds this family.
Close friends have fallen out and been sued; counsellors, priests and lawyers have breached the sanctity of the confessional; spivs and crooks have been hired and discarded for incompetence or mendacity.
Money, predictably, is at the root of it all, and Schapelle Corby's undying ability to earn it for her family and whoever is temporarily clinging on. Even now, an exclusive TV interview with the Seven Network's Mike Willesee, and a rumoured magazine deal are in the offing, arranged by Mercedes Corby and various agents, and expected to earn millions.
If there is a curse, though, it has affected Schapelle Corby most of all. She has spent nine years in prison, and she's done her time hard.
Report after report suggests she is mentally ill, struggling. In the view of Indonesian officials who have visited her since her release, she is "stressed", a word that could describe anything from mildly irritated to a full-blown breakdown.
In this dysfunctional family, the most dysfunctional member of all is the star.
"She wants to go home immediately but she's stressed because of all the media attention. She feels like she's chained," said Indonesian parole office official Ketut Sukiati after interviewing the Corby clan on Friday.
But she cannot go home, because nowhere is as secure as her current compound, and every story that's let slip, every paparazzi photo that is taken before the exclusive interview airs reduces its financial value.
Of course, the Indonesian justice ministry's move on Thursday night to ban the interview under pain of Corby being returned to prison, means it may never go ahead.
There was little room for doubt in the deputy Justice Minister's statement: "If you're going to do the interview, especially if it's going to be paid, it will cause ... restlessness in the community, so I have instructed the officer here ... to advise the family not to do it."
In the face of this, though, Mike Willesee still insisted he could proceed, though he conceded on Friday he had talked neither to the family nor Seven Network management about that view.
Quite apart from the legal considerations, it's unclear whether, and when, Corby may be up to doing an interview.
It's a diabolical dilemma for the family members who are waiting for a pay day they believe will set them up for life. As usual, it's the most diabolical for Corby herself, whose very freedom is on the line.
The sensible choice would be for her to make a detailed written statement to all media, have a professional photographer release a series of beautifully posed post-prison pictures to replace the stock photos we all use of her behind bars, and then ask all to respect her privacy. Then she could go home and start getting well.
The family will not do that, of course — because it would earn them no money whatsoever.
The only hints about Corby's new, albeit temporary, life inside Villa 30 of the Sentosa Seminyak villas, the gilded cage she has swapped for prison and where she is checked in as Jodie Hawkins, are not promising.
First was the release of a photograph of her, unmasked and drinking beer after Woman's Day agreed to pay $20,000 for it. The magazine ultimately refused to pay after News Limited breached the exclusivity of the image. Mercedes threatened legal action, and old hands nodded sagely and muttered, "Ah, the Corby curse."
The photograph showed Corby posed looking awkward and slightly manic while drinking beer in her brother Michael's company. She was still in the hat and shirt she wore on her mad dash outside prison, though without the veil. Was there not time even for a shower before they family took a photograph? That someone then tried to hawk the image for cash reasserts a familiar pattern.
That photograph — and her luxury surroundings — obsesses the Indonesian media, which spent Thursday interviewing Australian journalists about the fact that she is inside luxury digs, not the family home, while on parole. They also questioned her "partying" and "perhaps being drunk".
A Balinese employee of the hotel, which is hosting the waiting media summed up a common view, telling this journalist on Friday: "It's not fair. She's spent nine years not having to work in prison, and now she will get rich talking about it."
Then there was a video released on Thursday by Mercedes talking down the size of the interview fee, and exposing her obsessions by taking a swipe at Queensland Premier Campbell Newman over the Schapelle telemovie.
The unexpected behaviour of Willesee has also given us hints. He has emerged several times from the compound he shares with the Corby family only to reveal that he has less idea about crucial developments than the media outside.
On Saturday morning, after the family announced that they would not be doing any interview "at this stage", this reporter asked Willesee if he had discussed that statement with the family.
"I've only got what's in the public domain," he replied.
Whatever his contract or agreement says, it must leave significant room for doubt — and provide little guarantee of communication with the family.
Willesee is sounding slightly concerned.
Perhaps he's reassessing his decision to throw his lot in with the Corbys. Perhaps he's concerned that the next victim of the Corby curse will be him.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/m...corby-curse-20140215-32sco.html#ixzz2tMTRCg6F
poledriver
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I think she'll still be worth alot when her parole has finished, the interest in her will slow down, but they will still pay loads for that tell all interview. And her family has already made loads off it all over the yrs, over a million? Who can blame them, if a network or mag offers huge amounts for pics or an interview what's wrong with that?
poledriver
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So any income she makes working at her brother in laws business the state gets? How is she supposed to make any money to eat and pay any bills etc? Bit rough.
poledriver
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Schapelle Corby agrees not to hold reported $2 million TV interview
SCHAPELLE Corby has agreed not to hold any interviews “at this stage” after a meeting with parole officers at the luxury villa she is staying in.
But Corby, whose decision to stay in the four bedroom villa at Sentosa Seminyak since her release from jail has angered Indonesia’s Justice Minister,
also told the parole officers she was fearful of leaving it due to the media presence and it felt like being in prison.
Corby claimed that she could not even go the beach due to the media presence.
The developments came after photos emerged of a relaxed Corby strolling through the backyard of the villa where she has stayed under heavy security since her release last Monday.
The head of Balis parole board said earlier that his officers would give Schapelle Corby an “instruction” not to do any media interviews, on the orders of the Justice Minister in Jakarta.
SCHAPELLE CORBY CAN GO ON TV IF SHE ADMITS GUILT
DEAL OR NO DEAL: SCHAPELLE CORBY UNDER FIRE
Indonesia to stop Corby interview 1:01
Schapelle Corby is expected to be told not to do her anticipated TV interview by Indonesian authorities.
Ketut Sukiati, one of the three parole officers who visited the villa, said that Corby had asked why she could not be interviewed in a TV deal reported to be worth about $2 million — a figure denied by Corby’s sister Mercedes in a video.
Ms Sukiati said she told Corby she was reiterating a message from the deputy justice minister
and Corby agreed not to do any interviews at this stage.
She said Corby told her “OK”.
It is not known where this leaves Channel 7’s Sunday Night, which has hired a private security team to secure their high-profile potential interviewee, a convicted drug trafficker.
Channel 7 is also staying in the luxury villa complex where the Corbys are holed up.
The parole officers spent less than an hour inside talking with Corby, her sister Mercedes and brother-in-law Wayan Widyartha.
Corby looked better than she did on their last visit on Wednesday, .
The officers also reminded Corby of her parole conditions and she replied: “I already understand about that”.
Cont -
http://www.news.com.au/national/sch...ion-tv-interview/story-fncynjr2-1226827643610
SCHAPELLE Corby has agreed not to hold any interviews “at this stage” after a meeting with parole officers at the luxury villa she is staying in.
But Corby, whose decision to stay in the four bedroom villa at Sentosa Seminyak since her release from jail has angered Indonesia’s Justice Minister,
also told the parole officers she was fearful of leaving it due to the media presence and it felt like being in prison.
Corby claimed that she could not even go the beach due to the media presence.
The developments came after photos emerged of a relaxed Corby strolling through the backyard of the villa where she has stayed under heavy security since her release last Monday.
The head of Balis parole board said earlier that his officers would give Schapelle Corby an “instruction” not to do any media interviews, on the orders of the Justice Minister in Jakarta.
SCHAPELLE CORBY CAN GO ON TV IF SHE ADMITS GUILT
DEAL OR NO DEAL: SCHAPELLE CORBY UNDER FIRE
Indonesia to stop Corby interview 1:01
Schapelle Corby is expected to be told not to do her anticipated TV interview by Indonesian authorities.
Ketut Sukiati, one of the three parole officers who visited the villa, said that Corby had asked why she could not be interviewed in a TV deal reported to be worth about $2 million — a figure denied by Corby’s sister Mercedes in a video.
Ms Sukiati said she told Corby she was reiterating a message from the deputy justice minister
and Corby agreed not to do any interviews at this stage.
She said Corby told her “OK”.
It is not known where this leaves Channel 7’s Sunday Night, which has hired a private security team to secure their high-profile potential interviewee, a convicted drug trafficker.
Channel 7 is also staying in the luxury villa complex where the Corbys are holed up.
The parole officers spent less than an hour inside talking with Corby, her sister Mercedes and brother-in-law Wayan Widyartha.
Corby looked better than she did on their last visit on Wednesday, .
The officers also reminded Corby of her parole conditions and she replied: “I already understand about that”.
Cont -
http://www.news.com.au/national/sch...ion-tv-interview/story-fncynjr2-1226827643610
bit_pattern
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Australia also has laws - untested and drafted specifically to target David Hicks - that can have the assets of Australian citizens seized for profiting from crime conducted outise of Australian jurisdiction.
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poledriver
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Wouldnt surprise me, The Aus government loves making laws.
bit_pattern
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What would Scott Morrison do if Schapelle Corby breached her parole and turned up on Christmas Island in a boat?
One Thousand Words
Bluelighter
She has an Australian passport. They would stamp it and let her through.
Although her interpol file would mean she'd get deported to Jarkata pretty quick.
Although her interpol file would mean she'd get deported to Jarkata pretty quick.
bit_pattern
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It was a rhetorical question
poledriver
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Scott Miller says he was ‘out of it’ for 60 Minutes tell-all interview that has surprised his family and friends
SCOTT Miller’s 60 Minutes tell-all has taken his family and friends by complete surprise.
Even the disgraced former Olympic swimmer is understood to have told family he was so “out of it” he didn’t recall doing the interview with Tara Brown until he saw the on-air ads ahead of tonight’s program.
“He was our hero, an Olympic star with the world at his feet. What happened to Scott Miller?” the advertisement says. “The drugs, the prostitutes and the last chance to turn his life around.”
Last month Miller, who turns 39 on Friday, was given a 12-month suspended jail sentence for drug possession charges, with a Sydney magistrate telling him, “this is your best chance”.
During the interview, Miller breaks down as he answers what appear to be hard questions from Brown: “Are you a drug dealer? Are you a pimp? You are not stupid, are you? I mean, seriously.”
Miller recently completed six-month treatment program at a Melbourne rehab facility for ice addiction.
He has a two-year-old son and credits him with being the inspiration for getting his life back on track.
A photograph of Miller with his ex-wife, television personality Charlotte Dawson, appears in the promo. The pair were married in the late ’90s and separated in 2000.
“I wasn’t even aware of it until his sister told me a few days ago,” Dawson told Confidential.
“I don’t think it is good for his recovery to have done the interview but his family have told me it was done six months ago when he was in a bad place.”
A family friend told Confidential that Miller was not aware he had taken part in the interview until recently.
Nine confirmed the interview took place before Miller sought treatment.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/en...mily-and-friends/story-fni0cvc9-1226828105724
SCOTT Miller’s 60 Minutes tell-all has taken his family and friends by complete surprise.
Even the disgraced former Olympic swimmer is understood to have told family he was so “out of it” he didn’t recall doing the interview with Tara Brown until he saw the on-air ads ahead of tonight’s program.
“He was our hero, an Olympic star with the world at his feet. What happened to Scott Miller?” the advertisement says. “The drugs, the prostitutes and the last chance to turn his life around.”
Last month Miller, who turns 39 on Friday, was given a 12-month suspended jail sentence for drug possession charges, with a Sydney magistrate telling him, “this is your best chance”.
During the interview, Miller breaks down as he answers what appear to be hard questions from Brown: “Are you a drug dealer? Are you a pimp? You are not stupid, are you? I mean, seriously.”
Miller recently completed six-month treatment program at a Melbourne rehab facility for ice addiction.
He has a two-year-old son and credits him with being the inspiration for getting his life back on track.
A photograph of Miller with his ex-wife, television personality Charlotte Dawson, appears in the promo. The pair were married in the late ’90s and separated in 2000.
“I wasn’t even aware of it until his sister told me a few days ago,” Dawson told Confidential.
“I don’t think it is good for his recovery to have done the interview but his family have told me it was done six months ago when he was in a bad place.”
A family friend told Confidential that Miller was not aware he had taken part in the interview until recently.
Nine confirmed the interview took place before Miller sought treatment.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/en...mily-and-friends/story-fni0cvc9-1226828105724
poledriver
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^ So what's the go with that, I'm guessing he was paid (even tho he can't recall it? - wtf) Does that mean he is profiting from his criminal past?
[video=youtube_share;vGPB7HzmUo4]http://youtu.be/vGPB7HzmUo4[/video]
[video=youtube_share;vGPB7HzmUo4]http://youtu.be/vGPB7HzmUo4[/video]
bit_pattern
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On those Expendable Project nutters
In the days before Schapelle Corby's release, a stocky British man approached a Channel Ten news crew and, bizarrely, identified himself as ''Morpheus''.
Presumably named after the fictional sci-fi character in The Matrix movies, the man is also known to use dozens of other identities including Steve Binary, Lisa Harding and Christine Bowran. But Fairfax Media can confirm his real identity is Steve Addison and that he travelled to Bali, from his native Macclesfield in Cheshire, Britain, just to be part of the parade.
After Corby's release last week, Addison walked past the assembled media outside her villa complex in the company of Queensland UFO fanatic, anti-vaccine crusader, fluoride sceptic and conspiracy theorist Diane Frola.
Together, the duo form the ''global collaboration'' behind the pro-Corby ''Expendable Project'' support group. The pair claim to have exposed a complex, multi-layered conspiracy involving the Australian and Indonesian governments, the Australian Federal Police, Qantas, at least one major national bank and the entire media.
When Fairfax Media originally attempted to speak with the pair through the Expendable Project's website, its ''gatekeepers'' issued a ''yellow alert'' about a ''hostile initiative''. Last week, however, a former group member spoke publicly for the first time about her experiences inside the group's ''mother ship''.
Jo Soucek said she joined the supporters group in its infancy, hoping to help with Corby's mental health and to analyse possible ways of working within the Indonesian system to shorten her sentence.
''Dissenting opinion was allowed back then,'' she said. ''But all that changed.
''A group of individuals came along and pushed a 'you're either with us or against us' mentality. Any differing opinion about the circumstances [surrounding the case] was met with abuse and personal attacks. Research conducted by one person was passed off as being done by a 'team of researchers'.
''Multiple pseudonyms were encouraged to give the impression of there being more supporters than there actually were. Facebook profile images were used without people's permission in montages meant to depict Schapelle's supporters.''
Soucek said the driving force behind the change in direction was a British user named Morpheus, whose name she later discovered was Steve Addison. She said she left after watching others who held different opinions to the group ''attacked, maligned and subject to extensive vitriol''.
She said she opened her email account to discover a ''vicious dossier'' on one high-profile former supporter, meant to discredit them.
''It appears to have been sent to nearly everyone who ever appeared on the forum,'' she said.
Addison has a business background in IT security management and, with wife Christine, is the director of a British programming firm called BinaryNine.
While he claims the Expendable Project runs independently to other shadowy sites such as HiddenWorldResearch, HiddenWorldFilms and schapelle.net, IT analysis shows their owners' identity has been deliberately concealed using the same US private domain host, Moniker Online Services. They also share the same common goal: to anonymously harass, intimidate and discredit detractors of the Corby conspiracy.
Fairfax can reveal that Addison is also connected to websites belonging to other Schapelle ''believers'', having created the domain name womenforschapelle.com, which is now managed by Queensland psychiatric nurse Kim Bax. Last year Addison, this time posing as primary researcher ''Steve Preston'', became involved in a heated row on radio with ABC Melbourne's Jon Faine after the presenter labelled the Expendable website's theories as ''absurd''. Addison said his group of ''academics from around the world'' had acquired ''tens of thousands of government items'' pointing to Corby's ''sacrifice''.
But Faine responded: ''I couldn't find a single thing there that justified the level of excitement that you claim you're entitled to. It's a classic conspiracy theory.
''Stop your silly claim that this is the story no Australian media dare touch.''
While Addision became angry by constant references and links to conspiracy theories, Frola has carved out a career in publishing them. Before Corby was arrested in 2004, Frola co-founded UFOlogist magazine, which blames the Australian government for a continuing cover-up of ''known alien contact''.
She is also the editor of the magazine Hard Evidence, which deals with ''subjects the mainstream media won't or don't tackle'', such as the paranormal, crop circles, alien abductions and ''government conspiracies''.
The same magazine features links to the Expendable Project. When Fairfax approached Addison and Frola in Bali this week, Frola snorted and Addison said: ''I've got nothing to say to Fairfax Media or any comments whatsoever … because of your hostile campaign.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/schapel...y-theorists-20140215-32sgz.html#ixzz2tRKefxSh
In the days before Schapelle Corby's release, a stocky British man approached a Channel Ten news crew and, bizarrely, identified himself as ''Morpheus''.
Presumably named after the fictional sci-fi character in The Matrix movies, the man is also known to use dozens of other identities including Steve Binary, Lisa Harding and Christine Bowran. But Fairfax Media can confirm his real identity is Steve Addison and that he travelled to Bali, from his native Macclesfield in Cheshire, Britain, just to be part of the parade.
After Corby's release last week, Addison walked past the assembled media outside her villa complex in the company of Queensland UFO fanatic, anti-vaccine crusader, fluoride sceptic and conspiracy theorist Diane Frola.
Together, the duo form the ''global collaboration'' behind the pro-Corby ''Expendable Project'' support group. The pair claim to have exposed a complex, multi-layered conspiracy involving the Australian and Indonesian governments, the Australian Federal Police, Qantas, at least one major national bank and the entire media.
When Fairfax Media originally attempted to speak with the pair through the Expendable Project's website, its ''gatekeepers'' issued a ''yellow alert'' about a ''hostile initiative''. Last week, however, a former group member spoke publicly for the first time about her experiences inside the group's ''mother ship''.
Jo Soucek said she joined the supporters group in its infancy, hoping to help with Corby's mental health and to analyse possible ways of working within the Indonesian system to shorten her sentence.
''Dissenting opinion was allowed back then,'' she said. ''But all that changed.
''A group of individuals came along and pushed a 'you're either with us or against us' mentality. Any differing opinion about the circumstances [surrounding the case] was met with abuse and personal attacks. Research conducted by one person was passed off as being done by a 'team of researchers'.
''Multiple pseudonyms were encouraged to give the impression of there being more supporters than there actually were. Facebook profile images were used without people's permission in montages meant to depict Schapelle's supporters.''
Soucek said the driving force behind the change in direction was a British user named Morpheus, whose name she later discovered was Steve Addison. She said she left after watching others who held different opinions to the group ''attacked, maligned and subject to extensive vitriol''.
She said she opened her email account to discover a ''vicious dossier'' on one high-profile former supporter, meant to discredit them.
''It appears to have been sent to nearly everyone who ever appeared on the forum,'' she said.
Addison has a business background in IT security management and, with wife Christine, is the director of a British programming firm called BinaryNine.
While he claims the Expendable Project runs independently to other shadowy sites such as HiddenWorldResearch, HiddenWorldFilms and schapelle.net, IT analysis shows their owners' identity has been deliberately concealed using the same US private domain host, Moniker Online Services. They also share the same common goal: to anonymously harass, intimidate and discredit detractors of the Corby conspiracy.
Fairfax can reveal that Addison is also connected to websites belonging to other Schapelle ''believers'', having created the domain name womenforschapelle.com, which is now managed by Queensland psychiatric nurse Kim Bax. Last year Addison, this time posing as primary researcher ''Steve Preston'', became involved in a heated row on radio with ABC Melbourne's Jon Faine after the presenter labelled the Expendable website's theories as ''absurd''. Addison said his group of ''academics from around the world'' had acquired ''tens of thousands of government items'' pointing to Corby's ''sacrifice''.
But Faine responded: ''I couldn't find a single thing there that justified the level of excitement that you claim you're entitled to. It's a classic conspiracy theory.
''Stop your silly claim that this is the story no Australian media dare touch.''
While Addision became angry by constant references and links to conspiracy theories, Frola has carved out a career in publishing them. Before Corby was arrested in 2004, Frola co-founded UFOlogist magazine, which blames the Australian government for a continuing cover-up of ''known alien contact''.
She is also the editor of the magazine Hard Evidence, which deals with ''subjects the mainstream media won't or don't tackle'', such as the paranormal, crop circles, alien abductions and ''government conspiracies''.
The same magazine features links to the Expendable Project. When Fairfax approached Addison and Frola in Bali this week, Frola snorted and Addison said: ''I've got nothing to say to Fairfax Media or any comments whatsoever … because of your hostile campaign.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/schapel...y-theorists-20140215-32sgz.html#ixzz2tRKefxSh