Death penalty was on table for Corby

THE man who prosecuted Schapelle Corby fears she hasn’t learned her lesson as the convicted drug trafficker prepares to leave Bali tomorrow after a 12-year sentence.

A News Corp investigation can also reveal the death penalty was on the table for Corby but the malleability of youth and Indonesia’s belief in rehabilitation saved the beauty school dropout from the firing squad.

This was despite her refusal to admit guilt.

Prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu said the death penalty was not considered the right medicine. Bali prosecutors sent their recommendation to Jakarta where the Attorney-General signed off on the life sentence demand.

Asked if the medicine had worked, given Corby main- tains her innocence, Wiswantanu was blunt.

“Like a doctor who gives medicine for the flu, sometimes we get the flu again … not all medicine will work in all people,” Wiswantanu said.

“For sure it concerns me (that she claims to be innocent) because as a law enforcer we really hope that she will not repeat the crime again.

“Because law enforcers have the task of maintaining security and public order so we hope she never does the same thing again.

“For sure she knows the truth.”

Wiswantanu said the fact Corby was Australian or any considerations of the relationship with Indonesia did not enter into the case.

“I felt that Corby can still rehabilitate herself so the death sentence is not the punishment,” Wiswantanu said.

He said considerations of humanity also came into the decision making process.

“For sure it was discussed,” he said of the death penalty option.

“We discussed it. We also considered the level of medicine, or how many years, is needed for her and finally we decided not to give the death sentence because she can be rehabilitated.”

Corby — arrested on October 8, 2004 with 4.2kg of marijuana found in her boogie board bag — will be deported from Bail tomorrow and is ex- pected to fly back to Australia.

Judge Linton Sirait, speaking exclusively on the eve of Corby’s sentence expiring, has never wavered from his belief in Corby’s guilt.

“No doubt, 100 per cent,” Judge Sirait said when asked if he is still certain they made the right decision that day.

“Yes, no doubt. No doubt as of now, nothing from the news or any other thing that can make me feel that there was a mistake in deciding the case, for example someone saying it was theirs.

“Can the drugs just fly by themselves to Bali? I don’t think so.”

Asked what he would say to Corby now, Judge Sirait said: “I will tell her, congratulations you are free.

“I hope you will stay healthy … and I hope that you will never be involved in this kind of case again. That’s what I will tell her.”