Bali official happy to see back of Corby
Indonesian parole authorities have indicated they’ll be happy to see the back of Schapelle Corby.
Speaking ahead of Corby’s deportation to Australia on May 27, her longtime parole officer and counsellor Ni Ketut Sukiati said the former beauty student had often been “stressed” and “angry” to deal with.
“I hope it will all be over soon,” Ketut said. “Please no more foreigners like this. It makes us so busy . . . We’re tired. Please just one Corby.”
From the first time she met the newly-paroled 39-year-old in February 2014, Ketut told AAP it was clear Corby was having difficulty “opening up”.
“She didn’t want to talk. She was angry all the time like she was stressed. Even while here with us, she is mad at us. In the end, we are stressed too.”
In 2005 the Australian was convicted of smuggling cannabis into Indonesia. She spent nine years in Bali’s Kerobokan Prison. The drama and controversy that marked Corby’s trial continued after her release from Kerobokan more than three years ago.
Within days, her parole was thrown into jeopardy when Indonesian authorities raised concerns over reports of a lucrative paid TV interview with the Seven Network and the luxury accommodation she was living in.
In March, her sister Mercedes told Seven how her sister was “broken now”. “She was such a strong person before . . . She is different.”
Mercedes’ denial of Corby’s wrongdoing again raised the ire of authorities but by April, Indonesian officers said they would not punish her for what her sister had done.
The intense media scrutiny over her movements has been a constant source of angst for Corby, Ketut said.
Initially she would attend parole meetings with a motorbike helmet on to cover her face. Over the years, however, Corby appears to have relaxed — putting on weight and looking healthier, parole officers reported.
Ketut said she doesn’t know how Corby has spent much of her time on the outside apart from going for swims and walking along the beach in Bali.
After her release she worked in her brother-in-law and guarantor Wayan Widyartha’s surf shop but that was short-lived.
“Even though she’s not working, she can still eat, right? It’s different with us. If we don’t work, we can’t eat,” Ketut said. Ketut offered one piece of advice to Corby. “If you want to change, then change. If not, it’s at your own risk.”
— AAP