The minister who will decide whether Schapelle Corby will be released on parole from a Bali prison says the Australian will get no special treatment.
After nine years behind bars for drug smuggling, Corby, 36, is inching towards parole.
Her case was heard in Jakarta last week, but it’s not known if the recommendation to Indonesia’s Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin was for or against parole.
Syamsuddin told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday that Corby’s case is one of hundreds of requests, and she will get no special treatment.
“There are 1700 prisoners who are being processed by the parole board and they’ve been finished by the parole board,” he said.
“We just need to review that.
“I promise within three days, Insha’Allah, I will finish it.”
Syamsuddin stressed Corby was just one of 1700 cases.
“Corby does not receive special treatment,” he said.
The minister confirmed Corby was “eligible” for parole, but he wasn’t clear whether that was the recommendation given to him.
“As long as she follows all the regulations based on the parole board recommendations, she’s eligible to get her rights in accordance to the existing regulations,” he said.
Syamsuddin said the 1700 cases before him must be processed together, and treated equally.
He wanted to finish them “before the end of this week,” not only for Corby’s sake but the others, too.
If the parole board found in favour of Corby, and the minister approves the recommendation, it means she could be released from Kerobokan jail within days.
Syamsuddin has already said publicly he can see no reason why Corby’s parole bid should be rejected.
The beauty student was aged 27 when she was caught in 2004 attempting to smuggle more than four kilograms of marijuana into Bali in a bodyboard bag.
She has always maintained her innocence.
She has already been issued a new passport and approval from the Indonesian immigration department to serve out her sentence in the Kuta home of her sister Mercedes.
The directors-general of Indonesia’s corrections and immigration departments were also at the minister’s Jakarta office on Wednesday.
